Although the ADF’s UAV operations in Afghanistan were officially completed at the end of June, upgrades are in the pipeline for Army’s 18 Shadow RQ-7B Shadow 200 Tactical UAVs (TUAVs) and options for palm-sized micro-UAVs to equip infantry combat teams are being assessed.

The next Defence Capability Plan, due to be released towards the middle of 2015 is expected to shed light on the future ground based air defence (GBAD) capability requirements of the ADF.

Late last year Harris delivered the 10,000th digital tactical radio under Phase 2A of JP2072 and now there are more digital radios in the fleet than legacy radios.

South Australia and Victoria are competing to house the $10 billion Land 400 military vehicle production program, and are understandably spruiking their suitability to prime contractors and defence.

How will soon-to-be-selected land combat vehicles, designed for today’s concepts of conventional war, fare against extreme future warfare threats, which have yet to be determined? That’s the problem.

A satisfactory outcome to the risk reduction activity now underway on Hawkei prototypes may see a Request for Tender (RFT) for the Manufactured and Supported in Australia (MSA) option of Land 121 Phase 4 issued to Thales Australia later this year.

If size and experience are important, the Alliant Techsystems-NIOA bid for the manufacture and supply to the ADF of domestically-produced munitions, explosives and propellants will receive careful consideration – but not just yet.

With the ADF’s combat role in Afghanistan at an end and Army’s force preparation now focused on contingencies rather than current operations, fresh emphasis has been placed on the development of amphibious capability.

The inaugural ADM Northern Australia Defence Summit in late October 2013 attracted 140 registered delegates and representatives from across Defence, government and industry.

Land 155 Phase 1 is seeking to procure Military Off The Shelf (MOTS) combat bridges to provide Land Forces with the ability to cross a range of wet and dry gaps in support of combat operations, including the capability to tackle complex physical terrain features such as rivers, ravines and other natural and man made gaps.

“In 2012, therefore, we look at the high probability that operational tempo will decline in the next few years and that we could relive the ‘great peace’ of 1972 to 1990,” General David Hurley, AC, DSC, Chief of the Defence Force said. “These changes will bring new challenges to the ADF, challenges compounded by the increasing pace of change in our neighbourhood and the budgetary constraints that we face.”

There’s a very good chance that the multi-million dollar contract for the Australian designed and locally manufactured Hawkei tactical vehicle, proposed by Thales Australia for Land 121’s Protected Mobility Vehicle Light (PMV-L) project, is a given.

Robust discussions and ramped up training are preparing Army logisticians for their pivotal role in support of the major expansion to the ADF’s amphibious capabilities that will be provided by the RAN’s two Canberra class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs).

The 2012 public Defence Capability Plan (DCP) entry for JP157, which seeks to replace and enhance the Australian Defence Force’s aviation ground refuelling vehicle fleet, remains current with First Pass Approval now expected by the first quarter of 2014.

The Domestic Munitions Manufacturing Arrangements (DMMA) program is looking at replacing the 17-year old SAMS and Mulwala agreements come mid-2015 once they expire.

Described by its current head as the ‘innovation engine’ of Defence’s Capability Development Group, the Rapid Prototyping, Development and Evaluation (RPDE) program has conducted over 140 activities since its inception in 2005 and continues to resolve difficult and challenging problems.