Austal Vietnam to construct passenger cargo vessel

Perth shipbuilder Austal has won a contract for the construction of a 71 metre passenger cargo ferry, which will be built at the company’s Vietnamese shipyard. Austal Vietnam will design and construct the roll-on roll-off vessel for The Degage Group of French Polynesia in a contract valued at between $30-$40 million. The steel monohull design,…

Researchers open up critical minerals R&D for SMEs

Researchers at Australia’s leading science agencies are opening up opportunities for R&D into critical minerals opportunities through a new online course. The Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub, a collaboration between CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and ANSTO, is inviting SMEs in the critical minerals industry to apply for a 10-week online innovation accessibility. The free…

Lockheed’s first Australian missiles to be assembled in 2024 – report

The first Australian produced Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles – well known for their use by Ukraine – will be produced at a facility in western Sydney by the end of 2024, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The article, which details US efforts to boost missile manufacturing by its…

DroneShield awarded $4.3 million order from unnamed US government customer

Drone detection and countermeasure company DroneShield has announced a repeat order of $4.3 million from an undisclosed US government customer.   According to a statement to the ASX on Thursday, the delivery is expected to be complete “over the next 15 days,” using available stock on hand. It is for a number of handheld counter-unmanned aerial…

Raytheon opens defence Centre for Collaboration

Raytheon Australia has opened a new Centre for Collaboration in southeast Queensland, enabling opportunities for greater collaboration between the defence industry and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), according to the company. The Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy (pictured) officially opened the centre, which marks 25 years of investment by Raytheon Australia in developing secure…

Fleet Space’s Centauri satellite made voice capable in orbit

Nanosatellite manufacturer Fleet Space Technologies has demonstrated satellite-enabled Push-to-Talk (PTT) capabilities for the Australian Defence Force – Joint Capabilities Group as part of its ASCEND2LEO programme. The demonstration was enabled on its Centauri-4 satellite in-orbit via remotely delivered software derived from the ‘Beagle’ communications waveform, developed under projects funded by the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre.…

MicroTau selected for US Air Force trials of its fuel-saving sharkskin 

Sydney-based aerospace company MicroTau, which has designed specialised polymer riblet films for aircraft to increase fuel efficiency, has been selected by the United States’ Department of Defense (DoD) for flight testing of its product. According to a statement from the Australian company on Friday, it was selected in response to the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU)…

Valiant Space in-orbit propulsion system launched

Valiant Space’s first propulsion system is now orbiting in space where it is a key part of the Optimus Orbital Servicing Vehicle (OSV) built by Space Machines Company (SMC). Valiant VS-1 thruster flew to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of the OSV and will be performing numerous orbit changing manoeuvres for SMC’s…

Space Machines’ Optimus satellite launched on SpaceX rocket

Satellite manufacturer Space Machines Company has announced the successful launch this morning of Optimus, Australia’s largest-ever private satellite and the company’s first Orbital Servicing Vehicle (OSV). The foundation of the company’s future in-orbit satellite servicing opereations was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-10 mission. Following…

Whole of government behind defence industry – Conroy

There is no shortage of commitment’s from both sides of politics for Defence to get behind industry as a pillar of national security, and from the government, a new Defence Industry Development Strategy. In this edited extract from a speech delivered to the Illawarra Shoalhaven industry development conference, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy lays out…

Defence companies outperform in workforce gender pay gap

A study just released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency of gender pay gaps in companies found that women in the workforce are still badly treated, in fact very badly treated. The median gender pay gap in 5,000 companies studied on a base salary measure was found to be 14.5 per cent, while on a…

New support for 12 Australian space projects

The federal government has announced new grants to support a series of local space projects to help grow Australia’s space industry. The 12 projects, which align with NASA’s Artemis mission, will share in more than $9 million in funding to help drive innovation and support cutting-edge Australian science. The Moon to Mars grants will assist…