Successful entrepreneur and Ngarrindjeri man David Mallett is paving the way for greater First Nations representation in the defence sector, with his South Australian company Yanun Project Services playing a key role in the project management of a number of major defence projects. One of only a few First Nations businesses in the state’s defence industry, Yanun specialises in project management, schedule and planning support and project controls services. Since establishing in 2019, the business has grown, now employing seven people including a number of Aboriginal trainees, and is highly sought-after for its services by several major defence suppliers, despite ...

South Australian advanced engineering and construction company, Novafast Holdings, has launched an Australian-first defence manufacturing capability for composite production. The company has developed a world-leading robotic technique to manufacture advanced and automated composite piping and fittings to be used within large scale defence manufacturing, which will be delivered within a state-of-the-art $4 million facility. The new site was officially opened on Tuesday 28 June by Deputy Premier and Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Susan Close. In 2021, Novafast was awarded a $2 million Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) grant to invest in the robotic technology. Novafast Business Manager ...

Defence consultancy AeroPM has finalised its expansion into South Australia, officially opening its new facility in the Lot Fourteen innovation district. AeroPM is an Australian award-winning professional services consultancy firm specialising in supporting the Australian Department of Defence to acquire complex and significant sovereign capabilities. AeroPM’s Chief Executive Officer, Emily Frizell, said the company’s new location would complement its national headquarters in Canberra and accelerate its growth. “Lot Fourteen is a genuinely collegiate environment and the access to like-minded professionals and companies is just good for business,” Ms Frizell said. “Our Adelaide team has grown strongly over the last three ...

Off the back of a successful trial in 2021, BAE Systems Australia has announced 10 internships are on offer within the national company through the STEM Returners Australia program. STEM Returners targets candidates with science, technology, engineering and maths skills who have had an extended career break or who may be keen to move from another sector into defence and matches them to paid career opportunities. BAE Systems Australia was the first defence company to partner with STEM Returners last year, when they offered six internships through the program, with five people being offered permanent positions as a result. Now, ...

A STEM outreach program aiming to inspire primary aged students has been announced through a partnership with BAE Systems Australia and local specialist education technology company, Lumination. ‘Beacon’ will offer students in Years 4 to 6 an opportunity to solve real world challenges related to sustainability using leading-edge, immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D modelling. Initially, the program will involve 15 schools across South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia with plans for growth over three years. It will be offered in two delivery modes: a five-day intensive camp or a 10-week ...

South Australian companies Consilium Technology and elmTEK have joined forces, forming a new group that will bolster the State’s growing defence industry and capability. The merger brings together more than 20 years’ combined experience and innovation in software engineering, systems integration, digital sensors, simulation and AI. As well as applications across defence and space, the alliance will also enable the group to increase its scale and capabilities across sectors such as agriculture, mining, logistics, energy and infrastructure. elmTEK co-founder and Managing Director Ganen Ganeswaran said the merger of two experienced and growing companies demonstrates a real maturing of Australia’s digital ...

South Australia’s Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum has been hailed a huge success, with the first-time event drawing key players from the state’s defence and space sectors to take advantage of opportunities on major Defence projects.   The forum, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday 22 June, attracted more than 550 attendees across defence industry, the Australian Defence Force, government and academia to discuss the latest developments and supply chain opportunities in the aerospace and information warfare sector. Keynote speakers from the Australian Department of Defence, the Office of Defence Industry Support, RAAF’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Transition Office, ...

South Australian Electronic Warfare company DEWC Systems has unveiled a new brand identity – Asension. As a leading provider of sophisticated electronic components, sensors and systems to the Australian Defence Force, Asension has evolved its brand in line with its new mission and vision that will take the business into the next generation of EW products. Co-founding member and Chief Executive Officer Ian Spencer said the refreshed brand embodies the rapid evolution of the company’s technologies and capabilities. “Over the past few years the business and our technology have evolved significantly from where we started and the things we are ...

South Australian businesses can now access a new cyber security tool to boost their cyber resilience and prepare them for work on Defence programs. BAE Systems Australia and Saab Australia, in collaboration with industry partners and government have developed the Cyber Framework for the Defence Industry (CFDI) to measure and increase the cyber security of SMEs wanting to work in the sector. Twelve prime contractors have already adopted the CFDI, which was developed to simplify and help address the growing cyber risk facing SMEs. Defence companies require suppliers to have cyber security that reflects the products or services they provide ...

Recruiting workers from other industries will be key to meeting future defence workforce requirements, Saab Australia says. Major naval shipbuilding projects will create up to 5000 jobs in South Australia by 2030, along with thousands of additional jobs across other projects in cyber and systems solutions and intelligence. Saab maritime general manager Dave Symonds says project delivery will rely on recruiting existing workers from other sectors, in addition to strong graduate intakes. “We are starting to become quite active in transitioning people from other allied industries,” he says. “When the automotive industry ramped down a bit, we took on a ...

A new training course will equip Defence personnel, engineers and technicians with the skills and knowledge to support military Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) operations. Offered by the School of Information Operations (SOIO), the three-day course is the first of its kind in Australia and will help meet the growing need for members of the Australian Defence Force and defence industry to be skilled in UAS capabilities. The Australian Army currently uses a significant number of UAS platforms, most of which support intelligence gathering, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance to support land force operations. SOIO Chief Executive Officer Glenn Murray said ...

South Australian defence businesses can now access a range of free tools and services to help boost their cyber security, with the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre recently launching a cybersecurity toolkit in collaboration with the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA). The online toolkit provides tools and programs that help Australian small to medium businesses safeguard accounts, prevent phishing and malware, conduct system backups and data recovery, and protect email domains and company reputation. The toolkit is the first major achievement resulting from the recent partnership, with the two organisations also exploring other initiatives. Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre Interim Chief Executive Officer ...