Aussie manufacturers benefit from accelerated ADF drone program

The federal government has announced it is accelerating the acquisition of cutting-edge drone and counter-drone technologies for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Four months after the announcement of Project LAND 156, the government has issued an initial rolling wave of contracts worth $16.9 million to 11 vendors, including five Australian companies, to rapidly deliver counter-drone capability and technologies.

This means that following testing, at least 120 of the world’s most capable threat detectors and drone-defeating technologies will rapidly be introduced into service by the ADF.

The government says it will announce further counter-drone acquisitions in the coming months, including contracts to deliver a command-and-control capability, and additional advanced counter-drone sensors and effectors, giving the ADF more options to protect Australian defence bases.

Through Project LAND 156, the ADF will continually upgrade and refresh capabilities to address emerging drone threats. This process is driven by $58 million of investment by the government over the past three years in research, development and prototyping.

The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s (ASCA) Mission Syracuse is also accelerating the development of capabilities to counter medium-sized drones and swarms of drones, providing cutting-edge future capability options for LAND 156.

The government also says it is investing more than $10 billion in drones over the next decade, including at least $4.3 billion in uncrewed aerial systems. This funding will strengthen the sovereign defence industry, with partners such as DroneShield, Sypaq Systems, AMSL Aero, Grabba Technologies and Boresight.

These capabilities will complement current in-service drones such as the Black Hornet, PUMA, Wasp, Skylark and R70 Skyranger, as well as those currently being introduced into service including the Switchblade 300, Insitu Pacific Integrator and Quantum Systems Vector 2-in-1.

The ADF has a large array of uncrewed aerial systems already in service, including armed drones. A range of drone capabilities are also being tested at Exercise Talisman Sabre to accelerate evaluation and delivery into the hands of the ADF.

“We have accelerated the acquisition of an appropriate mix of drone capabilities to suit Australia’s environment of military interest and are continuing to examine new autonomous capabilities,” said Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy. “The Australian Government knows drone and counter-drone technology will continue to evolve rapidly.

“The delivery of cutting-edge drones and counter-drone technology shows the increasing speed at which Defence and industry are able to deliver new capabilities to the ADF. Australian industry is critical to delivering this technology, and they are demonstrating world-leading innovation while creating Australian jobs.”

DroneShield was awarded approximately $5 million of the $16.9 million in contracts for the supply of its handheld counter-drone equipment. The contract involves the provision of portable drone detection and defeat systems designed to support ADF personnel in identifying and mitigating unmanned aerial threats. DroneShield says it stands ready to support the ADF as Systems Integration Partner under the broader LAND 156 program.

“We welcome the opportunity to support the Australian Defence Force through Project LAND 156,” said DroneShield Chief Executive Oleg Vornik. “This contract reflects the growing operational need for portable counter-drone capabilities, and DroneShield’s continued role in delivering solutions aligned with Defence requirements.”

Image caption: DroneShield’s DroneGun Mk4 handheld counter-drone system. Image credit: defence.gov.au