Chris Picton MP
Minister for State Development
Minister for Defence & Space Industries
A South Australian defence company’s revolutionary radar technology is now being adopted across the globe, creating up to 200 highly skilled jobs, after taking part in a State Government export growth program.
Silentium Defence, headquartered in Gepps Cross, has developed rapidly deployable passive radar systems that provide surveillance across sea, land, air, and
space.
Unlike conventional active radars, Silentium’s systems do not transmit signals of their own, instead, they use existing radio frequency energy in the environment, such as TV broadcast signals, to detect and track objects such as drones and aircraft, making them discreet in operation.
In just 10 years, Silentium Defence has grown from its two co-founders to over 130 highly skilled staff across three facilities, with ambitions to expand to more than 200 high-tech jobs in the next 12 months.
Silentium has recently partnered with Saab to export Silentium’s South Australian developed radar technology to European customers.
The company is also continuing to expand its presence in the United States and United Kingdom, strengthening its ability to support allied defence priorities and optimise opportunities emerging through AUKUS.
Since receiving a Global Expansion Program grant in 2025, the company has increased their exports to the US and UK and expanded into the European Union – as the company transitions from specialist research and development into export sales, production delivery and support, and global customer adoption.
The Global Expansion Program provides grants of up to $50,000 to empower high growth businesses with the tools, resources, and guidance needed to navigate the complexities of global trade – supporting homegrown innovation and creating new jobs.
Through the Department of State Development, the $2 million Global Expansion Program has supported more than 60 local companies to grow their exports and become the state’s next global leaders.
Applications for the Global Expansion Program are now open.
Click here for more information or to apply.
Quotes attributable to Chris Picton
South Australian innovation is putting us on the global map, and Silentium Defence is a great example of a local company taking homegrown technology to the world.
From its beginnings in Adelaide, Silentium Defence has grown into an international defence technology business, creating highly skilled jobs at home while expanding its presence across key global markets.
Silentium Defence’s success shows what can happen when we back South Australian businesses with the ambition and capability to compete on the world
stage, and I encourage businesses to apply now for the next round of the Global Expansion Program.
Quotes attributable to Dr James Palmer, Silentium Defence, Global CEO
As global interest in our passive radar systems has grown, that capability has helped position us to fulfil export orders and support significant growth in skilled staff and customers over the past 18 to 24 months.
We were thrilled to receive the State Government’s Global Expansion Program grant to help develop our Export Control Compliance Program, which is a critical foundation for understanding and managing international export governance.
