South Australia continues to prove itself as a leading force in defence manufacturing, with the state’s defence industry experiencing a surge in growth.  New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows South Australia contributed almost $1.2 billion to the economy in 2020-21, growing by 11 per cent from the previous year –  the highest rate of growth of mainland states and largest contribution per capita of all states. According to the Australian Defence Industry Account, which measures the portion of the economy that directly supplies good and services to the Department of Defence, Australia’s defence industry contributed almost ...

In a major boost to Australia’s strategic military communications network, Babcock Australasia (Babcock) have been awarded the contract to deliver the Australian Defence Force’s Enhanced Defence High-Frequency Communications System (EDHFCS) to support regional and global operations. The new contract will see Babcock lead the operation and support of the existing HF capability, while delivering a comprehensive technology upgrade over the 10-year program. The EDHFCS program will commence in October 2023 and provide Australian and allied armed forces with the ability to securely communicate using voice and data from almost any location across the globe. As part of the Australian Government’s ...

 The Federal Government has allocated $10.1 million in funding to support the expansion of the Factory of the Future. A joint collaboration of Flinders University and BAE Systems Australia, the Factory of the Future is a purpose-built facility for industrial scale testing of new technologies and processes ahead of their use in advanced manufacturing. The facility is a first of its kind in the country and is located at the Tonsley Innovation District, which recently became a member of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts – an independent not-for-profit research organisation made up of 22 handpicked innovation districts across the ...

Kongsberg Defence Australia has announced its investment into a new purpose-built facility at Technology Park Adelaide. Kongsberg will construct the 2500sqm facility, which will be home to hardware manufacturing and assembly, along with maintenance and software development to assist in the delivery of defence acquisition programs. Construction of the new facility is expected to commence in January 2023, with plans for the facility to be fully occupied and operational by early 2024. It will support a range of activities including hardware manufacture, assembly, integration, test, verification and maintenance, as well as software development and support. Kongsberg Defence Australia’s John Fry ...

The largest Land Forces International Land Defence Exhibition to date was held in Brisbane from 4-6 October 2022 with a record number of South Australian exhibitors in attendance. Over the course of three-day event, an impressive 20,000 attendees visited the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre to see 810 exhibitor companies from over 25 nations, providing incredible opportunities for business and engagement for the industry. Topping off the record-breaking event, industry representation on the South Australia – The Defence State stand quadrupled in 2022 since 2010. A total of 58 local companies showcased their products, services, and capabilities in areas such ...

South Australian electronic warfare company Asension (formerly DEWC Systems) has partnered with Melbourne-based company AOS, to offer the Australian Defence Force a game-changing electronic warfare (EW) solution. Announced at Land Forces 2022, the new HERCULES EW network is expected to be more versatile than current networks and will provide the Army with a sovereign EW system that will increase the ground forces’ survivability. Managing Director of AOS Andrew Lucas said the system would provide a cost-effective solution that delivers what the Army needs right now. “HERCULES EW is a sophisticated, AI-driven system that will allow the Army to penetrate difficult ...

Lockheed Martin Australia has expanded its South Australian footprint, with the opening of its new purpose-designed Adelaide office. The new 930 square metre office will accommodate more than 90 staff from across its 520-strong South Australian workforce including engineers, scientists, commercial, legal, administration and operational employees. It will also house a dedicated STELaRLab, increasing the company’s R&D presence in the state. First opened in 2016 in Melbourne, STELaRLaB is the first world-class multi-disciplinary research facility to be established by Lockheed Martin outside of the US. The company’s Adelaide-based STELaRLaB scientists and engineers will drive innovation across several fields including artificial ...

South Australian defence technology firm QuantX Labs, has reached a major milestone in the development of its flagship technology, the Sapphire Cryogenic Clock. Following nearly two years of work upgrades and improvements, the technology – known as Cryoclock for short – has recently passed through a full acceptance testing and is ready for inclusion into the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN). The Sapphire Cryogenic Clock has been developed over more than 30 years and shows a frequency instability that is equivalent to losing or gaining only one second every 40 million years. This is 100 times better than commercial atomic ...

South Australian industrial refrigeration specialist Cold Logic has received its first order for a batch of new Defence compliant Environmental Control Units (ECUs) to support a Defence Mobile Command and Control program. The Port Adelaide-based Refrigeration and Controlled Environment System manufacturer designed the unit to address a gap in the Australian supply chain market for hard-mounted air conditioning systems to cater for deployable shelters currently in use with the Australian Defence Force that meet new requirements for EMI/EMC compliance. Prior to this, there was no current sovereign Australian option to provide hard-mounted environmental conditioning systems for deployable shelter systems for ...

An agreement between Flinders University, the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, Scotland) and BAE Systems has been established to support opportunities to collaborate on modern manufacturing methods for shipbuilding and marine operations. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a milestone in the formation of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Exchange and is expected to facilitate the development of international best practice for shipbuilding manufacturing. An exchange of expertise and collaboration between the Factory of the Future at Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland is anticipated to open prospects for adopting ground-breaking manufacturing technologies and processes. Any innovations ...

Aerospace giant Boeing has expanded the scope of a commercial partnership with South Australian-based AML3D Limited, accelerating the company’s entry into the aerospace and defence markets. A world leader in large-scale 3D metal printing, AML3D will now be working on the next phase of a contract for 3D metal printed aeroplane parts, by developing prototype components using its patented Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM®) process. The expansion of the contract with Boeing builds upon the initial agreement in June 2021 for AML3D to supply a 3D printed tooling component. This was followed by a facilities inspection in March 2022 by Boeing’s ...

The best of South Australia’s defence industry will be on show at Australia’s premier land defence expo, Land Forces, in Brisbane from 4-6 October 2022. A record number of defence companies will be showcased on the South Australia – The Defence State stand, ranging from electronic warfare specialists to component designers and advanced manufacturers, as well as the state’s research and education institutions. South Australia’s presence at Land Forces has more than quadrupled in the last decade, growing from 12 exhibitors in 2010 to 58 at this year’s event. In the lead up to the expo, Defence SA received expressions ...