South Australia has a well-deserved reputation as the nation’s Defence State, responsible for the largest, most complex naval shipbuilding and Defence projects. That leadership – and the growth of the local workforce – is set to be propelled to a whole new level, with the announcement that South Australia will be home to Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine build. Children who are currently in primary school across Australia, will be the professionals working on and leading the submarine program in the future. The workforce required to safely and securely build, operate, sustain and regulate Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet is diverse. It ...

REDARC Defence & Space has announced a new partnership with ST Engineering Advanced Networks & Sensors Pte Ltd to provide vehicle electronic solutions to the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Londsdale-based REDARC has assessed Singapore’s ST Engineering’s suite of electronic solutions and deemed them competitive and appropriate for the ADF, having been fully tested and qualified in accordance with the standards required. REDARC also have the manufacturing and testing infrastructure required to facilitate the building and testing of the products locally as required, further building Australian capabilities and boosting the company’s Adelaide workforce. REDARC Defence & Space General Manager, Scott Begbie, ...

South Australian-based leader in modern electronic warfare, Asension, has inked an agreement with UK company Gaddon to distribute its flagship product, Wombat. A specialist in radio frequency equipment training, Gaddon will represent the product in the UK market, providing support to both new and existing customers. The Wombat is Asension's premier product offering, setting new benchmarks in electronic warfare capabilities. The Smart Sensor Suite provides capability for multiple RF applications with high-speed data analysis and monitoring capability, making it an indispensable asset for a wide range of operational scenarios. Marking the occasion at September’s Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) ...

The first hand-picked cohort of students have commenced UniSA’s new Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space, a program specially designed to build highly qualified talent across the AUKUS alliance. Targeted at executives and senior managers in the defence and space sectors from Australia, the UK and US, the first members to undergo the 18-month program span across defence contractors and subject matter experts, senior members of the ADF and allied countries, and civil servants. The MBA will address critical skills gaps in cyber security, space systems, geopolitics and defence procurement while also building highly sought after leadership capability across ...

Babcock International Group and the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States, HII, have joined forces in Australia to support critical capabilities for the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program. Building on an existing relationship between the companies to partner in the United Kingdom and US for nuclear decommissioning, disposal and national security, this new agreement aims to develop optimal models for nuclear-powered submarine capability in Australia, including infrastructure, sustainment and skills development to support AUKUS. Babcock’s CEO, David Lockwood, said working with HII in Australia is the next important step in the partnership between the companies. “By harnessing Babcock’s heritage ...

South Australian-based electronic warfare expert DEWC Services has forged a partnership with global technology and engineering leader KBR to meet the unique challenges of the modern battlefield. The agreement will enable the two companies to share skills and experience to address some of the evolving electronic spectrum challenges currently faced by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). CEO of DEWC Alan Dundas said the partnership is in line with DEWC’s objective to support Defence via a range of mission-critical activities within Command Control, Communications and Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (C4ISREW). “Working together, I believe that both DEWC and ...

Students from Modbury High School and Charles Campbell College are gearing up to hit the international stage in Singapore this weekend, when they compete in the 2023 World Finals of the global STEM challenge, F1 in Schools. The schools are among 68 teams from 33 countries who will be vying for the championship title at the event, being held from 10-13 September ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. F1 in Schools is a global competition in which students must use engineering and manufacturing principles to design, analyse, manufacture, test, and race miniature air-powered cars capable of reaching 0-80 km/h ...

South Australian-based advanced composite and sheet metal manufacturer, AEROBOND, have entered into a contract with Kongsberg Defence Australia for the production and provision of launcher canisters for the company’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM). Set to be manufactured in a new, purpose-built 3500sqm facility in Adelaide, the launcher canisters will be provided as part of the work program for the NSM capability to be employed on the Royal Australian Navy’s Hobart Class Destroyers and Anzac Class Frigates. As a result of the contract, AEROBOND will immediately seek to grow its workforce and recruit an additional 35 roles in South Australia. Together, ...

South Australian-based Electronic Warfare (EW) company, Asension, has signed a distribution agreement with Alaris Antennas, a global pioneer in antenna solutions for EW spectrum monitoring and communications. The partnership will see Asension become the company’s supplier for Australia and New Zealand, strengthening the region’s defence capabilities. It will also expand Asension’s product range, leveraging Alaris Antennas' proven innovations to cater to diverse environmental and technical demands. Asension Sales Manager Vic Bergamin said the collaboration represents a convergence of two stalwarts in the EW domain. “Alaris Antennas' expertise in designing and testing antenna solutions, combined with Asension's dedication to cutting-edge technology, ...

South Australian advanced manufacturer, AML3D, has announced it has signed a contract to manufacture high demand components for US Navy submarines. The $2.02 million agreement with Blue Forge – a non-profit, neutral integrator supporting the sustainment of the US Navy’s submarine industrial base – will see AML3D develop and metal 3D print a replacement component used in US Navy submarines. No longer available from traditional manufacturers, the ability for AML3D to metal 3D print the non-safety critical components for the ships solves a significant US supply chain challenge.  Made with Nickel-Aluminum-Bronze alloy material, the contract also provides AML3D the opportunity ...

Babcock Australasia has commenced construction of a new $31 million integrated, manufacturing, warehouse and office facility in Adelaide’s western suburbs. The Torrens Road site will include a 4000m2 purpose-built manufacturing and maintenance building that will underpin Babcock’s delivery of support to land and naval defence programs including in-service sustainment for the Collins-class submarine fleet. The project will also include development of a separate 2000m2 administrative support building while the remainder of the one hectare site is being kept in readiness for potential expansion to cater for future AUKUS support. Babcock Australasia CEO Andrew Cridland said the site was an exciting ...

South Australian-based cyber security specialist, CyberOps, has been awarded a $2.5 million contract with the Department of Defence to increase the cyber security readiness of Australia’s space sector. The project aims to boost the space sector’s capability to protect the nation’s critical space infrastructure and sensitive data from ever-evolving cyber threats. It will involve the development of Australia’s first dedicated space cyber testing and training facility. The facility will provide state-of-the-art testing for space hardware and services, and a simulation environment allowing space operators and cyber practitioners to develop and hone their skills. CyberOps Director Daniel Floreani said project would ...