Both Boeing and Northrop Grumman have expressed optimism that they can win the newly reopened US$35 billion tanker contract.

The UAV Challenge - Outback Rescue 2009 competition was run by ARCAA, the Queensland Government, and industry sponsors.

The 5th ADM Skilling Summit, held in Melbourne, provided context alongside training and skilling solutions from government, prime and SME perspectives.

The Tiger ARH project has reached the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Readiness milestone.

The General Dynamics Land 121 Phase 4 solution, based on the Eagle, is a mature PMV-L design derived from DURO chassis technology.

Thales Australia has unveiled the design for its bid for the ADF's Protected Mobility Vehicle requirement under Land 121 Phase 4.

Boeing Defence Australia has announced the introduction into service of its Modernised High Frequency Communication System for ADF operations.

L-3 WESCAM has been awarded a contract to provide more than 50 MX-15D electro-optical and infrared imaging turrets.

The official keel laying of Australia's first Amphibious Ship, LHD 01, has taken place at Navantia's shipbuilding yard in Ferrol, Spain.

Australian Aerospace has opened a large warehouse complex, in Sydney's southwest, to support the multi-role helicopters.

The executive summary of the Pappas Report on the Defence Budget audit, available on the Department of Defence website, makes some interesting points.

Helisim, a company jointly created by Eurocopter, Thales and DCI, has inaugurated its first NH90 flight simulator at the training centre in Marignane, France.

A swarm of UAVs (unmanned autonomous vehicles) flying as a single entity, collecting and transmitting information, reacting and correcting for air currents obstacles and returning base without incident is the stuff of science fiction.

The result has been a long time coming, but the new ADF Deployable Medical Facility rolled out on EX Talisman Saber 09 seems to have been worth the wait.

Cubic Defence Australia was able to bring together numerous training programs and standards from the US and Australia to make sure that troops from various sites could train together for Talisman Sabre 2009.

With more advanced combat identification solutions making current technology obsolete, the ADF will continue to field coalition compatible systems in the interim and rely more on improved situational awareness across the battlefield.