Opening the 2014 event, Chief Information Officer Dr Peter Lawrence gave delegates some context about how CIOG has been operating over the last 12 months and the likely effects of 2015 given the raft of new defence documents set to be released.

Lobbying by European companies vying to build Australia's Future Submarine has intensified, with the chief executives of French naval systems group DCNS and Sweden's Saab both in Australia within a week of each other.

Profits from running Australia's immigration detention centres have been substantially propping up the finances of UK outsourcing company Serco, which is facing increased losses from other contracts it holds.

It seems that the operation of Global Hawks in the Pacific region is hampered by the annual monsoon season, primarily because the RQ-4Bs do not have the ability to detect and avoid thunderstorms and other extreme weather events.

Cirrus managing director Peter Freed has announced that the company has secured a range of development contracts across each service branch of the ADF.

Cogito Group, an Australian SME that specialises in digital security and systems integration, has been engaged to assist NZDF in planning the implementation of stronger authentication and access-enabled solutions.

Northrop Grumman Corporation in partnership with the UNSW, Canberra/Australian Defence Force Academy is providing a AU$35,000 grant to the ACCS.

Western Australia's Orbital has delivered the first purpose-built ScanEagle UAV propulsion system to Boeing subsidiary Insitu Inc, for in-house testing and development.

The latest in defence appointments.

Network security has to evolve, says Gartner's Privacy and Security Research director, Laurence Pingree.

Drones cruising through Chinese airspace may be set for rude awakening, with local scientists reportedly developing a laser capable of shooting the vehicles out of the sky.

The US Navy and Lockheed Martin have delivered the third MUOS spacecraft to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.325 of 6 November 2014 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here.

Chief Defence Scientist Dr Alex Zelinksy launched Forward 2035, DSTO's forward planning document, on 31 October.

Some of the latest in tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies were showcased by members of defence industry at the inaugural Army Innovation Day held at the Special Forces Training Facility in Sydney on September 30.

According to the Courier Mail, the fire which gutted a $54 million Australian Navy patrol boat has been blamed for the demise of a Brisbane-based boat manufacturing and servicing company.