The federal government has announced the go ahead for the life-of-type extension programme for the Collins class submarine fleet, extending their life until the arrival of Virginia class nuclear powered submarines. HMAS Farncomb will be the first of the Collins class submarines to undergo sustainment and capability enhancement at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide…
Defence industry minister Pat Conroy has openly called the government’s move from innovation policies of the previous government to one of picking winners. Answering questions after a speech top the ASPI defence conference, Conroy said moves to link innovation grants more directly to purchasing decisions by Defence was picking winnners. Conroy said: “We have to…
By Peter Roberts If @AuManufacturing’s editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – has taught us anything, it is not the national myth of plucky Australians being an inventive people battling to commercialise their ideas. Towards 3% has taught us that unlike leading nations, Australia doesn’t have a supportive innovation ecosystem…
The federal and South Australian governments are to invest $60 million towards building an Australian Defence Technologies Academy to be developed at Lot Fourteen innovation precinct in Adelaide. To open in 2026, the academy will drive sovereign research and development of defence capabilities, according to a statement. The state-of-the-art facility will provide digital training, education…
Today in our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy explains how the government has built new structures to link defence innovation with commercial outcomes, building the defence industrial base in the process. A strong and sovereign innovation, science and technology sector is critical to…
The federal government has placed a $30 million order with Queensland-based Craig International Ballistics for body armour that will be used by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, including in combat and counter terrorism operations. The contract, which will also create and sustain dozens of jobs, supports local small-and-medium enterprises and a future made in Australia,…
The federal government has signed a $500 million contract with Lockheed Martin Australia to deliver the next phase of the Joint Air Battle Management System that synchronises air and missile defence operations across air, sea and land operations. LMA was named in October as the strategic partner to deliver the project, known as AIR6500, which…
Armour steel manufacturer Bisalloy Steel has broken into the US military shipbuilding market, snaring a purchase order for processed Australian steel from Newport News Shipbuilding. Newport News is a division of HII, the largest military shipbuilder in the US and one of two US companies that designs and builds nuclear-powered submarines. Bisalloy, which processes steel…
The federal government has released the latest Australian Defence Export Catalogue. This iteration of the catalogue features a record number of businesses showcasing export-ready products services and technologies, up 20 percent compared to the previous edition. The release of the 2024 catalogue comes on the back of the release of the Defence Industry Development Strategy,…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading. 5) 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…