The Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) has signed two collaborative agreements with defence contractors during its Partnership Week activities in Melbourne (6-10 June).
The two agreements were made with Raytheon Australia and Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems.
DST will collaborate with Raytheon Australia in strategically significant research areas such as cyber/electronic warfare systems, hypersonics, naval combat systems, underwater systems, operational analysis and quantum technology.strengthen collaboration on defence technologies.
The strategic alliance allows for a range of research interactions, including exchange of information, separate agreements on interactive projects, staff secondments and access to each other’s facilities and equipment.
“Our ability to achieve Strategic Defence Objectives relies on critical support from Australian defence industry to deliver leading-edge innovation and research.”
“The agreement with Raytheon marks the 14th such alliance we have now signed with our strategic partners in industry and the research sector. I welcome this partnership,” DST CEO and Chief Defence Scientist Dr Alex Zelinsky said.
“Our ability to achieve Strategic Defence Objectives relies on critical support from Australian defence industry to deliver leading-edge innovation and research.”
CEO Raytheon Australia Michael Ward said: "We look forward to building innovation with DST Group, drawing on our extensive experience as a combat systems integrator and our trusted partnerships with industry, government and also educational institutions”.
“The cementing of this on-going close relationship with Raytheon Australia is mutually beneficial because no single scientific organisation can achieve the advances we need for Defence capability without significant science and technology collaboration,” Dr Zelinsky said.
Naval Combat Systems Analysis has been selected as the first research topic to be developed into an Interactive Project Agreement under the alliance.
“Raytheon is enthusiastic about working with DST on naval combat system analysis, centred on accurately modelling combat systems performance,” Ward said.
A new collaborative agreement to boost the development of military electronic surveillance systems was also signed by DST and wholly-owned Australian technology company, Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems.
The company will utilise the innovative light cone direction finder, developed by DST, to enhance the capability of its electronic support measures system.
Dr Zelinsky said the agreement was a fine example of a SME capitalising on Defence innovation to provide a capability solution for the ADF.
The light-cone direction finder improves the localisation of multiple radio signals and the rejection of spurious signals in a complex electromagnetic environment and is significantly superior to current systems.
“Under this agreement both our defence scientists and the company will work together to improve the effectiveness of the ADF’s direction-finding systems,” Dr Zelinsky said.
“This is the kind of partnership we are keen to encourage as it fosters innovation and adds value to the capabilities being developed by industry for Defence.”
The company’s managing director Peter Jenkins said, "JEDS as an SME views this collaboration as an opportunity to develop an innovative product based on DST Group's groundbreaking research."