The long-anticipated review into the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet requirements has seen South Australia retain its position as the home of major surface combatants under a continuous shipbuilding plan. At a press conference on Tuesday 20 February Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles confirmed that while the number of Hunter class frigates would be reduced from nine to six, the build of the replacement vessel for the Hobart class destroyer will immediately follow at the Osborne Naval Shipyard. In line with the recommendations of the review, the Navy’s future surface combatant fleet will be larger and more lethal comprising of ...

Applications are now open to nominate young achievers making waves in South Australia’s defence industry. Now in its 18th year, the Australian Defence Industry Network (AIDN) Young Achiever Award recognises upcoming defence industry leaders making an impact through leadership, technical ability and industry achievements. Each year, the award is held at a state level with winners moving on to compete for the National Award title. Defence SA will once again back South Australia’s future leaders as a proud sponsor of the South Australian AIDN Young Achiever Award which last year went to Aurizn Associate Research Scientist, Jonathan Hedger. Acting Chief ...

Three South Australian businesses­­­ – Aerobond, Hendon Semiconductors and JTM Gaskets – have secured funding, as part of the Australian Government’s Defence Global Competitiveness and Sovereign Industrial Capability Grants. The local defence manufacturers are among 10 innovative businesses nationwide that will share in the $3.4 million grant fund. The grants aim to bolster Australia’s defence by fostering cutting-edge capabilities, creating highly skilled jobs, and stimulating local manufacturing. Aerobond has been granted $849,876 to invest in machinery, electronics, and related manufacturing, specifically for guided munitions, hypersonic technology and integrated systems. Hendon Semiconductors will receive $689,251 to support defence platforms requiring ruggedised ...

South Australian cybersecurity company Secure State has joined leading technology provider archTIS Limited’s Channel Partner Program as a Silver Partner. Formalised earlier this month, the agreement marks a major milestone in Secure State’s 20-year history and supports the company’s mission of bringing Defence-grade cybersecurity solutions to Australia’s Defence supply chain. Under Silver Partner status, Secure State will resell and provide services for archTIS products Kojensi – a multi-level security platform for classified sharing and document collaboration and NC Protect – a data discovery, compliance, and protection software program to further strengthen its offering to clients around Australia. Founder and COO ...

Babcock Australasia has joined the list of companies breaking records in the defence industry in 2024. Starting this month, a record 69 graduates will take part in Babcock’s Graduate Program, gaining first-hand work experience supporting contracts for Collins Class submarines, High Frequency Communications and the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet. This announcement further cements the global defence and aerospace company’s commitment to upskilling the next generation of defence industry workers. Almost half the graduates will be based in Adelaide (34), with other graduates in the 2024 intake located in New Zealand (20), Perth (11), Sydney (3) and Melbourne (1). During the ...

Twenty-six university students were recognised at the Defence Industry Scholarship Program graduation ceremony held in Adelaide on 10 July 2024. Now in its fifth year, the successful South Australian Government program is administered by the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), supporting the development of a defence-ready workforce by providing students with unique insights into one of the state’s fastest growing sectors. To date, the program has provided 91 students from Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia with grants of up to $10,000 to undertake placements across 26 host companies. With more than 10,000 jobs ...

BAE Systems Australia has welcomed a record number of apprentices to begin their defence industry careers at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. Forty apprentices have begun their journey into technical trades onboard the Hunter class frigate program, joining more than 1,800 people already working on the project – nearly 1,400 of whom are based at Osborne. Most apprentices will start roles in manufacturing, piping and mechanical trades, along with five starting work in electro-technology and machining in the production workshops, and seven existing BAE employees continuing their career journey as mature-aged apprentices. Managing Director of BAE Systems Australia ...

A project led by Adelaide based defence software firm, Acacia Systems, has been selected to receive a $1.6 million dollar funding boost under the inaugural round of the Defence Innovation Partnership’s Activator Fund. The ‘Enhancing the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Undersea Surveillance Minimum Viable Capability’ Project aims to advance novel approaches to increase the accuracy, range, tracking and localisation of undersea threats. The Activator Fund was established to enable South Australia to participate in larger-scale innovation activities within the defence industry and supports the rapid translation of innovative technology into Defence capability. Acacia System’s Chief Executive Officer, Horden Wiltshire, talks ...

Registration is now open for companies of all sizes to host undergraduate students for a semester-long unpaid internship in 2024 under Defence SA’s Defence Industry Scholarship Program. Under the program small-sized companies can receive grants of $4,500 per student hosted, while medium-sized companies can receive a grant of $2,500 per student. The program is run in collaboration with AiGroup who work directly with companies to ensure they are matched with the best students to suit individual business requirements. The program provides a unique way to connect with future talent, with around 80 percent of the high-calibre students going on to ...

The 2023 Australian Defence Industry Network (AIDN) SA Young Achiever has been announced, with Aurizn Associate Research Scientist, Jonathan Hedger, receiving this year’s honour. The 17th annual AIDN SA Young Achiever of the Year was recognised at a celebration event held at the Naval, Military and Airforce Club in Adelaide. The award recognises the outstanding work of young professionals under the age of 30 who are working in the defence industry and making a meaningful impact in their business and to Defence. Jonathan’s passion and commitment to the defence industry was recognised among a strong field of 11 young professionals ...

Defence SA is delighted to announce the appointment of Mel Slater as Director Maritime, responsible for developing and delivering activities that grow the naval shipbuilding industry’s presence across South Australia and the nation. With over 35 years’ experience in shipbuilding construction, Mel has experience across engineering, major project and significant subcontracts, and senior management positions. Prior to joining Defence SA, Mel worked on major projects including the Attack class submarine program and AIR6500, responsible for aspects of sourcing within the supply chain through market solicitations, evaluations, subcontract negotiations and executions, with overall cost and schedule responsibilities. Mel has worked on ...

South Australian-based advanced manufacturer, AML3D, has announced a contract to manufacture and test components and additional test materials for BAE Systems Maritime Australia (BAESMA). The announcement of the prototype test part contract – which will be developed using AML3D’s Wire Arc Manufacturing (WAM®) – follows a previously announced feasibility and commercial validation testing program that demonstrated WAM® is a cost-effective solution that meets the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) standards. The prototype part is a test component for use within BAESMA’s contract to design and build the Hunter class frigates for the RAN in South Australia. AML3D’s Chief Executive Officer, Sean ...