Latest News from ADA-Vic

$19 Million Innovation Investment to Protect our ADF

The Federal Government is investing $19 million in Aussie businesses and researchers to develop cutting-edge technologies that could help protect and sustain Australian Defence Force personnel in the field.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the nine new Defence Innovation Hub contracts demonstrated Australian industry’s capacity to drive the development of advanced technologies for ADF personnel.

Industry and research organisations can submit innovation proposals through the Defence Innovation Portal at: www.innovationhub.defence.gov.au

New contracts announced under the Defence Innovation Hub:

Australia Takes Next Step to Delivering Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise

The Federal Government has taken a major step forward in delivering a $1 billion Sovereign Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, officially announcing strategic partners Raytheon Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia.

The Minister for Defence the Hon Peter Dutton MP said three Australian-based companies – The Australian Missile Corporation, The Sovereign Missile Alliance and Aurecon Advisory – will support prime contractors as sovereign industry partners of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise.

$3.5 Billion to Accelerate Missile Strike Capabilities for the ADF

The Federal Government has approved the accelerated acquisition of improved weapon capabilities for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at a total cost of $3.5 billion.

Minister for Defence the Hon Peter Dutton MP today announced that Defence will accelerate the acquisition of:

The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) for the Royal Australian Air Force;
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) for the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet; and
Maritime mines to secure Australia’s ports and maritime approaches.

$23 Million Investment to Build our Defence Capabilities

The Federal Government is investing $23 million in 10 Australian businesses whose innovative ideas could strengthen the capability of the Australian Defence Force.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the contracts announced today were further evidence of the Government’s commitment to growing Australia’s sovereign defence capability.

“These contracts awarded through the Defence Innovation Hub will help Defence maintain a capability advantage in our dynamic strategic environment, while boosting the competitiveness of our industry innovation sector,” Minister Price said.

Five of these contracts, collectively valued at more than $5 million, aim to manage and improve the health and safety of ADF personnel.

This includes a $1.81 million contract with South Australian-based company Prism Systems, which will develop an immersive digital precision approach system to improve aircraft and ship visibility.

Canberra-based company ECLIPS Logistics has also received a $1.68 million contract to continue the development of an advanced autonomous robotic system for handling Defence artillery.

A $290,000 contract with New South Wales-based company Invicta Prospectus Group will develop a unique software system incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning for operational decision-making.

Industry and research organisations can submit innovation proposals through the Defence Innovation Portal at: www.innovationhub.defence.gov.au.

New contracts announced under the Defence Innovation Hub:

ODIS Defence Industry Hub Event at the MCG - 28th April 2022

Dear Juanita,

The Office of Defence Industry Support (ODIS) is hosting a number of Defence Industry Hubs around Australia to help businesses who want to learn more about Defence and the Defence Industry.

We would like to invite you to attend the inaugural Defence Industry Hub on the 28 April 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Registrations are now open, please see the attached invitation for more information or go to Eventbrite to register. Places are limited.

This free event will feature a range of speakers and tailored activities including:

Government representatives
Industry leaders
Networking with Defence SME’s.

The event is themed around ‘Collaborating for Defence Capability’. Key topics include:

ODIS and Defence Readiness
Understanding your value proposition
Defence Collaborations pathways and case studies

If you have any questions regarding the Defence Industry Hub, please email ODIS.Events@defence.gov.au

ODIS Defence Industry Briefing Sale, East Gippsland - Wednesday 4th May 2022

The Department of Defence invites you to attend a complimentary Office of Defence Industry Support (ODIS) briefing. The briefing will provide practical information for small to medium enterprises wanting to learn more about defence industry opportunities in their region, and the services ODIS provides.

The program will include presentations by ODIS covering:

Defence readiness and the Defence Business Readiness Tool
Key success factors
Opportunities for industry

You will also hear from local Defence personnel, Local Government, and businesses in the Gippsland region currently working in the defence ndustry supply chain, and their journey working in the defence industry.

How to register
Register your interest to attend the Defence Industry Briefing with Eventbrite by clicking the button below.
By registering, you will also have the opportunity to register for a one-on-one meeting with an ODIS Defence Industry Adviser.

If you have any questions, please email ODIS.Events@defence.gov.au

Kinexus Women's Defence Networking Alliance Melbourne Face-to-Face Networking Event

Late last year Kinexus introduced a new initiative – the Women’s Defence Networking Alliance (WDNA). The WDNA’s aim is to create a dedicated space for meaningful connecting for women in defence industry. Through virtual and in-person events we will provide refreshing, practical and valuable support to help the community thrive in their careers.

After the success of our inaugural event last year, we are delighted to begin our tour of face-to-face networking events, the first of which will be held in Melbourne on 28th April.

Date: Thursday 28th April 2022
Time: 6pm - 8.30pm AEST
Where: Victory Lounge, 416 Collins St, Melbourne 3000

The event revolves around building female network, hearing from our insightful guest speaker Millie Keating, Industrial Development Unit Manager at Hanwha Defence, and meeting the WDNA team!

Important information

Open to all female defence industry professionals
Glass of wine and finger food on arrival
Grow your network, share your stories and get advice from other women who understand
Hear from our amazing guest speaker, Millie Keating, Industrial Development Unit Manager at Hanwha Defence, who will tell us all about her experiences working in defence industry and how she faced and overcame challenges in her career
It’s free to attend but please register

Important links

Register for the event
More info on the website
Subscribe to the mailing list

RMIT Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence & Aerospace Centre Defence & Aerospace 2022

For 100 years RMIT has partnered with the Defence sector. Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence & Aerospace Centre @ RMIT, a trusted partner in building Australia's Defence and Aerospace capabilities.

The Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence & Aerospace Centre, At RMIT University, supports the transformation and growth of Australia’s defence, aerospace, and transport systems industries. They work with organisations to build globally competitive and sustainable Australian Industries by delivering trusted technology, business solutions, and workforce skills development.

Find out more : RMIT SLWDAC Defence & Aerospace 2022 | RMIT University

From Defence:

The Commonwealth Government’s media release on the Defence budget is here. A short summary by Defence Connect is here.

Funding of $81.4 million has been provided for the Sovereign Industry Capability Priority Grant program. See more here.
Funding of $20.3 million has been provided to expand the Skilling Australian Defence Industry Grant program. See more here.

Defence has released an RFI seeking proposals on how industry could deliver a sovereign Test and Evaluation capability. See more here.
The Minister for Defence Industry opens Saab’s Deployable Health Capability Centre of Excellence in Hawthorn. See more here and here.
Commonwealth Procurement Rules have been amended such that Defence contract valued up to $500,000 can be exclusively offered to SME suppliers. See more here.
The Commonwealth Government has announced three new focus areas for Defence Innovation Hub submission effective 1 July 2022. These are: guided weapons and explosive ordnance, integrated air and missile defence, and undersea warfare. See more here.
The Commonwealth has established a Small Business Advocacy Team in the Office of Defence Industry Support. See more here and here. The Small Business Advocacy Team Leader is David Welch. See more here.
Team Defence Australia is calling for EOIs the Farnborough International Airshow, UK, 18 to 22 July 2022. EOIs must be submitted by 24 April 2022. See more here.
Victorian businesses AW Bell, Agent Oriented Software, IAS Asia Pacific, Moog Australia, QinetiQ, RUAG Australia, DefenceTex Research Labs and Sentient Vision have each received a contract with the Defence through the Defence Innovation Hub. See more here and here.
Tony Fraser AO has resigned as Deputy Secretary of the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. See more here.

Other News:

Leonardo Australia’s Essendon Fields maintenance facility has received approval that it meets Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. See more here.
Nominations are now open for ADM’s Women in Defence Awards and close on 17 May 2022. See more here.
APV Corporation has acquired the capability to provide seat and seat anchorage testing to Defence and industry. See more here.
Attached is an ADM’s list of Defence tenders.
RUAG Australia has been sold to ASDAM. See more here.
RUAG Australia is the first Australian company to receive Authority to Proceed from US for local support to the JSF. See more here.
Nominations are now open for Australian Aviation’s Australian Aviation Awards. Nominations close on 30 June 2022. See more here.
The attached email from the DSI contains a number of R&D opportunities.

Upcoming Domestic Events:

10-12 May 2022 – Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition. See more here.
15 June 2022 – Trusted Autonomous Systems 2022 Symposium. 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.