Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare used the D+I Conference to announce a range of procurement reform designed to increase opportunities for local firms to compete for Defence work.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully participated in the 2011 Northern Edge joint military exercise in the US by demonstrating key F-35 Joint Strike Fighter sensor capabilities in a demanding operational environment.

Kim Gillis was appointed vice president and managing director of Boeing Defence Australia in June this year. Before joining Boeing Defence Space & Security in the US last year, he had been deputy CEO of the Defence Materiel Organisation.

The release last month of a tender for the Group Maintenance Contract (GMC) for the Navy’s eight Anzac-class frigates, along with the Rizzo Plan for support ship repair and management, is the trigger for an overhaul of Defence’s maritime sustainment arrangements.

An Australian-developed sustainment software tool offers the prospect of significant savings in sustainment management for both new and legacy platforms and equipment.

Registrations opened last month for the Safeskies Australia 2011 conference, to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra on 25-27 October.

Contenders for the Phase 1 Bravo Digital Terminal Control System are looking forward to 2nd Pass approval later this year to learn which of their offerings has been selected as the preferred system

New Zealand’s 2011-12 defence budget continues to favour the Army, but the Navy and Air Force are getting a greater share; meanwhile the operational budget and civilian personnel numbers have fallen.

The Federal Government will contribute more than $9 million toward research for the protection of ADF personnel.

Barely a month after major cyber attacks on Lockheed Martin and Sony, stratsec CEO and Head of Cyber Security at BAE Systems Australia, Tim Scully, surveys the cyber threat and highlights the challenges we face .

The RAN has taken another tentative step towards developing a sea-going UAV requirement. Bit it took some engine and fuel development by the UAV manufacturer, InSitu Pacific, to make it possible.

With the ADF about to start looking for a new training helicopter under Project Air 9000 Ph.7, the RNZAF’s experience with its new AW109 training/light utility helicopter may be instructive. The AW109 is a contender for the ADF program.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith have named the new ADF and service Chiefs, whose appointments take effect from 4 July for a period of three years.

The ADF personnel who rotated to Afghanistan in May as part of Mentoring Task Force 3 are equipped with the Army’s new Soldier Combat Ensemble (SCE), which integrates the latest generation of body armour and combat uniform.

The Landing Ship Heavy HMAS Tobruk should be back at 48 hours readiness to sail by the end of August, according to Ministers Smith and Clare.

With the withdrawal of the Australian AP-3C Orion fleet in 2019 or thereabouts, the partial replacement of this highly capable and versatile maritime ISR capability by the P-8 Poseidon presents many challenges, not least the management and support of mission software.