The Anthony Albanese Authorities has unveiled plans to take a position as much as $7 billion in counter-drone capabilities for the Australian Defence Power (ADF), greater than doubling present funding underneath the 2026 Built-in Funding Program (IIP).
The last decade-long funding is aimed toward strengthening Australia’s means to detect and defeat more and more subtle uncrewed aerial threats, each at dwelling and in deployed operations abroad.
This content material is on the market completely to Australian Aviation members.
To proceed studying the remainder of this text, please login.
To unlock all Australian Aviation journal content material and once more limitless entry to our every day information and options, develop into a member in the present day!
A month-to-month membership is just $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
See advantages
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Entry to In Focus studies each month on our web site
MOST POPULAR
PRINT + DIGITAL
See advantages
Limitless entry to all Australian Aviation digital content material
Entry to the Australian Aviation app
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Entry to In Focus studies each month on our web site
Entry to our Behind the Lens photograph galleries and different unique content material
Each day information updates by way of our e mail bulletin
DIGITAL
See advantages
Limitless entry to all Australian Aviation digital content material
Entry to the Australian Aviation app
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Entry to In Focus studies each month on our web site
Entry to our Behind the Lens photograph galleries and different unique content material
Each day information updates by way of our e mail bulletin
Head of the Superior Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), Main Normal Hugh Meggitt, stated the initiative, often known as Mission Syracuse, would leverage Australia’s strengths in superior defence applied sciences.
“Mission Syracuse will draw on Australian business’s world-leading experience in kinetic and directed power programs to search out, repair, monitor, goal and have interaction uncrewed aerial autos,” he stated.
“It would considerably improve the ADF’s means to counter the risk posed by UAVs employed by malicious actors, each domestically and overseas.”
As a part of the announcement, the Authorities confirmed two preliminary contracts for Australian-made, next-generation counter-drone programs, marking an early step within the broader funding push.
Minister for Defence Business Pat Conroy stated the funding would strengthen each nationwide safety and Australia’s defence industrial base.
“The Albanese Authorities is constructing a stronger and extra resilient defence business by means of investing in Australian innovation, expertise and disruptive applied sciences that may preserve Australians secure,” he stated.
The funding types a part of a wider dedication to spend as much as $22 billion on drone, counter-drone and autonomous programs over the subsequent decade, consistent with the just lately launched Nationwide Defence Technique.
The transfer comes amid rising proof from conflicts such because the conflict in Ukraine and ongoing combating within the Center East, the place drones have develop into a central characteristic of recent warfare. Defence officers say these developments underscore the necessity for sovereign capabilities to counter quickly evolving threats.
Underneath the primary spherical of contracts, AIM Defence will obtain $21.3 million to advance its high-energy laser system, often known as Fractl. The transportable system is designed to trace and destroy each particular person drones and swarms, with the power to lock onto objects as small as a 10-cent coin travelling at speeds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour.
SYPAQ Programs has been awarded $10.4 million to develop the Corvo Strike interceptor drone, meant to trace and neutralise bigger UAVs more and more seen on up to date battlefields.
ASCA may also oversee integration of those new programs into the ADF’s current command and management structure, being delivered underneath the LAND 156 program.
Whereas Australia’s geography has historically pushed funding in bigger, long-range drones, officers say Mission Syracuse will speed up the rollout of capabilities tailor-made to counter medium-sized drones and swarms of smaller programs, threats extra more likely to be encountered in advanced operational environments or throughout home safety duties.
Minister Conroy added, “With report funding in drone and counter-drone capabilities, we’re guaranteeing Australia can reply to rising threats to our safety.”
