Latest News from ADA-Vic

Hi Juanita,

In another unprecedented week for Australians, ADF personnel across Australia are gearing up to further support the aged-care sector as part of Operation COVID-19 Assist, following a request from Emergency Management Australia.

The Australian Government announced Defence is expanding its contribution to the whole-of-government support to aged-care facilities by 200 personnel, with up to 1700 ADF personnel available to provide support across Australia.

We are here to help and advocate for our members. We would also like to hear from you if you have any news or stories about your business that may be of interest to other businesses and organisations.

We look forward to hearing from you.

mailto:info@australiandefencealliance.org.au

Victorian Company Secures Contract with US Navy

A Victorian small business has been awarded a USD$2.46 million contract with the US Navy to deliver 22 specialised work stands that give technicians safe access to the Navy’s P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the contract with AirFab, located in Ferntree Gully, Melbourne, demonstrated the invaluable export opportunities Australia’s Defence industry was receiving as a result of cooperation between the Royal Australian Air Force and the US Navy.

The Wide-Band Satellite Telecommunications System work stands are purpose built and allow technicians to access the P-8A Wide-Band Satellite Communication station, and to safely conduct fuselage inspections without overextending.

Hunter Program Delivers Major Engineering Milestone

The Hunter Class Frigate Program has successfully held a major engineering review, which defines how the Australian Combat System integrates into the Global Combat Ship reference ship design.

The year-long System Definition Review (SDR), involving work by BAE Systems’ engineering teams in Australia and the UK, has established a new baseline design for the Hunter class frigate and builds on the sovereign complex warship design capability at South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard.

From Defence:

The Department of Defence will show case start-ups at this year’s Australian Defence Science and Research Summit in July, through the Start-up Alley initiative. See more here.
Team Defence Australia is calling for EOIs to attend Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa Bay, US, from 16 t o 19 May 2022. EOIs close on 27 February 2022. See more here.

Other News:

The Victorian Government’s Defence Capture Team and the Aviation Strategy and Services Branch have been merged into the Defence, Aviation and Aerospace Branch. Mr Unni Menon is the Executive Director.

DMTC Limited will work with BAE Systems Maritime Australia and the University of Wollongong to develop advanced welding technologies for naval shipbuilding. See more here.
Premcar has received a grant for the Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre to develop a manufacturing program to support the installation of a new, latest-technology, powertrain into land-based defence vehicles for local and export applications. See more here.
Round One of the Commonwealth Government’s Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships Program is open for applications. Applications close on 31 March 2022. See more here.

Upcoming Domestic Events:

22 – 24 February 2022 – MilCIS. See more here.
24 March 2022 - Space Connect’s Australian Space Summit. See more here.
5 April 2022 – Northern Australia Defence Summit. See more here.
10 – 12 May 2022 – Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition. See more here.
22 June 2022 – ADM Congress. See more here.
20 – 22 July 2022 – Australian Defence Science and Technology Research Summit. See more here.
4 – 6 October 2022 – Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition. See more here.
11 – 17 November 2022 – Maritime RobotX Challenge. See more here.
28 February – 5 March 2023 – Australian International Aerospace & Defence Exposition 28 February – 3 March) and the Australian International Airshow ( 3 – 5 March). See more here.

Victorian Common User Facility

If industry requires access to secure communications facilities to engage with Defence, this can be provided through the Victorian Common User Facility.

Defence Industry Support Tools

The Office of Defence Industry Support has a number of tools to support defence SMEs. The Defence Business Readiness Tool, the Digital Readiness Assessment Tool, and the Cyber Security Assessment Tool.

Links to Grant and other Programs:

Australian Defence Export Office Pitch Training Program

The ADEO, in partnership with Marketing Entourage, have created a five week online pitch training program specifically for businesses looking to export defence and dual use goods and services. This training is fully subsidised for Australian Defence Industry businesses.

The program is specifically designed to improve the chances of success for Australian defence industry companies when engaging with opportunities to pitch their capabilities to foreign military and military suppliers. The training is delivered through a series of webinars, online modules and one-to-one pitch practice sessions.

Australian Defence Industry businesses are encouraged to apply by registering their interest at the link below. Multiple people from the same business can be included as a single application. Limited spaces are available on each cohort and the ADEO will prioritise businesses who have recently participated in an industry delegation with TDA.

Click here to learn more about the Online Pitch Training Program and to register your interest.

BAE Systems Hunter Class Opportunities

BAE Systems Maritime Australia’s Innovation team is seeking Expressions of Interest from industry to support the Hunter Class Frigate Program (HCFP) to:

Investigate manufacturing technologies, materials, coatings, and processes with the potential to improve the sail away performance of the nine Hunter class frigates;
Investigate infrastructure, the workforce, and shipyard capabilities to ensure the Osborne Naval Shipyard maintains high levels of productivity, quality and safety; and,
Investigate ongoing maintenance or future capability upgrades that may immediately influence the design and delivery of the nine Hunter Frigates to be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.

The team will evaluate submissions quarterly - with feedback - until June 2022.

Each EOI reviewed by the Hunter Innovation Team may be considered for future steps including a Request for Information (RFI) and/or Request for Proposal (RFP). This may lead to a an agreement for a scope of work which could be in the form of a Research Task, Case Study; Feasibility Studies; Proof of Concept; Prototyping; or other agreed scope of work.