New partnerships, MOU signings and defence technology unveilings were among the highlights from the South Australia – The Defence State stand at last week’s Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition in Perth.

The event also showcased the depth and diversity of South Australia’s defence sector, with more than 60 companies, research organisations and education institutions demonstrating local innovation, advanced manufacturing expertise and sovereign capabilities.

In total, more than 1,000 exhibiting companies and organisations joined the event from across the globe, attracting approximately 22,000 attendees over three days.

South Australian Minister for Defence and Space Industries Chris Picton met with many of the companies represented on the Defence State stand during the event, reinforcing the government’s commitment to providing opportunities for SMEs to connect with primes and suppliers in the global supply chain for defence programs in Australia and beyond.

Defence SA Director Ilona Horan, who led the delegation for the agency, said the strong South Australian presence reaffirmed the state’s status as the defence state.

“The presence of 60 South Australian companies at Land Forces 2026 highlighted the depth and diversity of our defence,”

“We are already seeing local defence companies secure significant contracts and supply advanced technologies to international customers, creating highly skilled jobs and driving economic growth. We want to see this success continue and grow.”

While the event’s focus was to generate exposure for the Australian defence industry and build relationships, several South Australian companies also revealed new partnerships, agreements and product developments.

• Codan unveiled its solution to deliver the next generation of radio communication systems for Australian soldiers, for ithe LAND4140 Work Package 16 Tactical Edge Radio program.
• Praetorian Aeronautics revealed its partnership with Rheinmetall to deliver an Australian-developed containerised Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft System (C-UAS).
• Secure State Consultants formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global aerospace and defence company Safran Group to strengthen its Australian defence capability.
• Hendon Semiconductors signed a partnership with Perth-based Proteus Maritime to accelerate the delivery of innovative Australian-made technology for the increasingly contested underwater environment.
• Norseld Photonics and Adelaide University announced their partnership with Northrop Grumman was a step closer to commercialisation of its Hollow Core Optical Fibres technology.

Defence SA extends our gratitude to all exhibitors who contributed to the success of the South Australia – The Defence State stand at Land Forces 2026.

The event returns to Melbourne in September 2028.

Land Forces by the numbers

•  22,000 attendees across the event
• 1,011 participating exhibitor companies
• 763 Australian exhibitor companies
• 60 South Australian defence companies
• 6 international pavilions
• 60 nations represented across the event
• 258 official delegations
• 24 Chiefs of Army counterparts or representatives
• 66 conference presentations
• 144 expert speakers