The NZ Army has adopted an indigenously designed UAV based on IP developed by its own Defence Technology Agency and then transferred to a local manufacturer, Skycam. The system is now in operational service.

A Sydney SME has won a massive share of the global market for weapon mounts.

Navy’s new CEAAR / CEAMOUNT anti-ship missile defence radar system has been released for initial operational use after achieving outstanding results during trials of the system off the coasts of Australia and Hawaii.

A follow-on order for ASLAV Crew Procedural Trainers from Thales and Sydney SME Thomas Electronics will roughly double the Army’s ASLAV crew training capacity, reflecting the Army’s operational tempo and the value of the CPTs.

Metal Storm is a teaming partner with seven companies that have received Pentagon contracts to provide Force Protection Systems for Integrated Base Defence capabilities for security of sites and personnel.

As ADM closed for press Defence announced the MRH90 helicopter program would undergo a second diagnostic review, to begin last month.

Defence forces have long been accused of preparing to fight the last war, not anticipate the next. The Australian Army’s Adaptive Warfare Branch and Centre for Army Lessons exist to ensure Army learns from the past but doesn’t live there.

The status of the Army’s reserves has undergone a profound change over the past 20 years. No longer just WOFTAMs, Reservists are now an integral part of the Army’s force generation cycle.

The Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, has decided to decommission the RAN’s second ex-US amphibious landing ship, HMAS Kanimbla.

While only five Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) projects have been funded under Round 15 of the CTD program, these have important operational applications if they prove successful.

AgustaWestland and its partners are positioning themselves to bid for the Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) contract, when this eventually goes to tender.

Using iPods, game software and a lot of lateral thinking the New Zealand Army is developing a simulation capability for its Light Armoured Vehicle crews at a tiny fraction of the cost of a full-blown vehicle trainer.

A Sydney-based SME which made its name in the film industry has found a new application for its special effects and pyrotechnics skills in providing force preparation and pe-deployment training for ADF units

The Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and the Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare have released the terms of reference for the Review of the Sustainment of Australia’s Collins Class submarines by John Coles of BMT Defence Services in the UK.

Defence has launched a New Air Combat Capability Industry Support Program providing $8.2 million to support Australian industry and research organisations involved in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program.

BAE Systems has completed a successful Production Readiness Review (PRR) for manufacturing critical airframe components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program.