Of all the complex military electronics systems out there, nothing will be more complex than the combat system aboard one of our new submarines. Yet in all the heated politics about just who will build them and where, next to nothing has been said of the electronics.

Lockheed Martin has been the US Navy’s Aegis combat system engineering agent for the past 40 years. During this time, they have managed the entire Aegis lifecycle from concept through lifetime support and sustainment; everything from cradle to grave.

From the small tactical end of the market to the larger helicopter based platforms, the Navy has a range of options available based on their requirements.

With the upcoming replacement of HMA Ships Sirius and Success, it is important to consider the previous issues and challenges encountered in Defence acquisition and sustainment projects.

The Navy and the Australian naval shipbuilding industry look like being big winners in the Defence White Paper. The government has already announced a continuous build of major and minor surface ships which, among other things, almost guarantees an increase in the number of hulls – and not just this time around, but in perpetuity.

In considering the future shape of Australian naval shipbuilding it’s worthwhile to recall the adage that those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it.

Manufacturing drives innovation and technological change, accounting for a quarter of Australia’s private sector R&D expenditure.

Innovative maritime products continue to flow from Tasmanian companies; in several instances winning greater attention from foreign navies than from the RAN.

Innovation is a journey, and it needs a destination: an end user. With a new White Paper due out soon, Defence is starting to acknowledge once more the benefits of local industry innovation at a time of rapid strategic and technical change, so for DST Group, academia and the Australian defence industry, the journey resumes.

As part of the wider transformation process that the RAAF is undergoing, the replacement of the ageing AP-3C fleet with the Boeing P-8A is on track.

In an effort to get a better picture of what the sustainment efforts are for the surface fleet, ADM Editor Katherine Ziesing spoke to both NSM (a joint venture of UGL and Babcock) about their work on the ANZAC fleet and Atlantic & Peninsula Australia Pty Limited (A&P Australia) about their work on HMAS Choules.

The horizons of unmanned underwater technology stretch from meeting current operational requirements to future scenarios more akin to science fiction.

With Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) coming on stream later in the decade and the Future Submarine and Frigate programs on the horizon, the Royal Australian Navy’s undersea warfare capability is set to receive a significant boost.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) can provide a practical endorsement of its bid to supply Australia’s Future Submarine - a state-of-the-art shipyard with six submarines under construction, three more undergoing refit or maintenance, and ongoing research and development activity.

As Australia lurches unsteadily towards acquisition of new submarines, it's instructive and entertaining to consider another submarine deal on the other side of the world.

With industry still unsure on how the competitive evaluation process will work in practical terms, the RUSI-hosted Sub Summit in Adelaide was a timely opportunity to bring together an interesting array of speakers on the process and options being put forward.