By Peter Layton, Griffith University In the past five years, uncrewed aerial vehicles (drones) have become indispensable in modern warfare. The Russia–Ukraine war has accelerated their ascent: on any given day, there may be hundreds or even thousands of drones operating across the frontlines and behind them. Cheap, mass-produced consumer technology is the foundation for…
The Australian Government has approved a Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement with Austal that will establish the company as the Commonwealth’s strategic shipbuilder for Tier 2 surface combatants at Henderson, Western Australia, according to an announcement on Monday. Under the agreement, Austal Defence Shipbuilding Australia, a newly created subsidiary, will become prime contractor for the LAND8710 programs…
The federal government has awarded $16.9 million in contracts to 11 vendors, five of them Australian, to rapidly deliver counter-drone technologies. According to a statement from defence industry minister Pat Conroy on Thursday, the “rolling wave of contracts” is part of the LAND 156 program announced four months ago. LAND 156 will see “some of…
The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) launched Mission Syracuse on Monday, seeking industry support to enhance Australia’s defence capabilities against small uncrewed aerial systems. According to a statement released on Friday, the mission will focus on rapidly developing advanced technology options to intercept drones that can be integrated into the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) existing…
Satellite and space systems manufacturer Fleet Space Technologies has successfully demonstrated two-way voice and data (TVAD) satellite communications for the Australian Defence Force in support of the ASCEND2LEO satellite communication programme. Developed as part of a $6.4 million contract with Defence, Fleet Space’s TVAD demonstration included a full duplex satellite communications system, enabling two-way voice…
Australian electronics manufacturer GME is linking with Korea’s Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) and Hanwha Systems through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that brings together leading command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) capabilities . Signed at the annual Military Communications and Information Systems (MilCIS) Conference in Canberra, the agreement will see the three parties working…
Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has received Military Production Organisation Approval (MPOA) from the Defence Aviation Safety Authority (DASA) for the local manufacture of aerospace parts and components. The approval will speed up parts availability for Australian Defence Force (ADF) aircraft while driving down overall sustainment costs. The MPOA permits BDA to bulk produce a range…
Work has begun on a four-bay hangar for the maintenance of Australian Defence Force’s Boeing 737 variants, with completion scheduled for mid-2026. The a 240-metre long, 60-metre wide, 25-metre high hangar will be used for specialist maintenance on aircraft including the P8-A maritime patrol aircraft and E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. Design and construction of the $200…
The federal government will contribute up to $850 million in partnership with Kongsberg Defence Australia to manufacture and service missiles at Williamtown near Newcastle. The project, which involves construction of a factory in the Newcastle Airport precinct employing 100, is expected to generate almost $100 million in economic benefits to the local area. The factory…
The Department of Defence has launched a Defence Digital Engineering Strategy to transform how it works with businesses and speed up capability acquisition and address operational gaps. The strategy is a key outcome of the Defence Industry Development Strategy and 2024 National Defence Strategy, which identified the need for Defence to accelerate digital technologies. According…