AgustaWestland and its partners BAE Systems Australia and CAE Australia revealed at Nowra last month they would offer the new-generation GrandNew variant of the AW109 helicopter in their bid for the Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) under Project Air 9000 Ph.7.

BAE Systems Australia has selected Australian Aerospace Composites (AAC) to manufacture Dorsal Fins for the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM). The Dorsal Fins will be manufactured at AAC’s Brisbane facility.

Three years before the first of the RAN’s three Hobart-class AWDs is due for delivery, RAN specialists have received their first hands-on experience of the Aegis combat system that is at the heart of the ships’ warfighting capability.

Australia’s defence SMEs face a couple of lean years in the domestic market. The Commonwealth is trying to help local firms pursue Global Supply Chain opportunities, and the so-called “Hidden Champions” in Europe’s SME sector may provide models, lessons and inspiration.

In a surprise move the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has appointed the Secretary of the Department of Defence, Dr Ian Watt, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Force Protection is a Darwinian struggle driven by the threats facing Australian troops deployed on operations overseas. The issue isn’t just a technical one however: its about training, tactics and procedures as well as organisational factors.

Despite the heading, there is no suggestion that Project Djimindi – the alliance between Defence, Thales Australia and EuroTorp – is dead and buried. Far from it – we believe the project will soon emerge from its projects of concern listing, though somewhat bruised and with its prospects reduced.

Canberra-based Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited (EOS) has won an order for up to 400 Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) from an undisclosed customer, and subject to the customer’s annual budget appropriations.

Sydney-based SME Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems has been contracted by the DMO Training Aircraft Systems Program Office (TASPO) to supply and support its Air Combat Officer Training System (ACO-TS) to the RAAF School of Air Warfare at East Sale.

The cyber threat to Australia is real, evolving and continuing to test our defences, said the Attorney-General, Mr Robert McClelland, in his keynote speech to the ADM Cyber Security Summit.

The first Lockheed Martin production model F-35 Lightning II assigned to the US Air Force’s 33rd Fighter Wing has been delivered to Eglin AFB.

Insitu Inc’s ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has surpassed 500,000 combat flight hours and more than 56,000 combat sorties, with 99 percent mission readiness.

Australian soldiers deploying to Afghanistan in May 2011 as part of Mentoring Task Force 3 were equipped with the latest generation of Soldier Combat Ensemble (SCE) – a suite of body armour that is integrated with load carriage components, developed by Defence’s new ‘Diggerworks’.

Saab Systems in Adelaide has recently completed a Concept Technology Demonstrator (CTD), successfully integrating a number of ADF and coalition command and control systems.

Round 15 of Defence’s Capability & Technology Demonstrator (CTD) program includes two projects directed very specifically towards the under water threat

Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare were present to see the 800th Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle roll off Thales Australia’s production line at Bendigo.