DroneShield to open R&D facility in South Australia

Australian counter-drone technology company DroneShield has announced a $13 million investment in a new research and development facility in Adelaide, South Australia. The company says the investment will initially create around 20 high-skilled engineering roles in Adelaide, focused on radio frequency (RF) electronics, electronic warfare (EW) and systems integration, to directly support DroneShield’s mission to deliver cutting-edge defence technologies.

The South Australian expansion complements DroneShield’s existing engineering operations in Sydney and supports the company’s continued growth in advanced RF electronics and EW capabilities. Adelaide has been chosen due to its proximity to leading global defence and aerospace organisations, a highly skilled engineering workforce, and established infrastructure supporting advanced technology development, particularly in EW and RF systems.

The announcement comes as DroneShield reaches a company milestone of surpassing 400 employees globally, nearly doubling its team in the past year and more than quadrupling it over the last two years. Approximately 300 of these employees are software and hardware engineers, which the company says reinforces its position as a world-leading technology company focused on delivering advanced defence capabilities.

“South Australia is the Defence State, and has been recognised by the Business Council as the best place in the country to do business,” said SA Premier Peter Malinauskas. “We welcome DroneShield making the choice to conduct research and development here in Adelaide, creating 20 highly skilled engineering roles. As a government, we have a strong focus on growing our research and development ecosystem, which has the capacity to build our economic complexity and our state’s prosperity.”

“South Australia is recognised as a national leader in defence and space industries, with Adelaide home to a highly skilled and experienced workforce,” said DroneShield Chief Executive Oleg Vornik. “Establishing our first R&D office in Australia outside of our Sydney Headquarters is a strategic move that supports DroneShield’s mission to deliver world-leading counter-drone and EW solutions.”

DroneShield’s South Australian R&D facility will be led by Jeff Wojtiuk, a leading Australian engineer who specialises in radio frequency technologies. Wojtiuk brings over two decades of experience in defence and aerospace systems engineering, with a strong background in RF design, EW and complex systems integration. He has held senior engineering roles across major defence programs — including over a decade of experience at Lockheed Martin Australia — and has contributed to the development of advanced radar and communications technologies.

The new site is expected to be fully up and running by March 2026.

Image: DroneShield anechoic chamber. Supplied.