Defence selects Northrop Grumman to build SRMs in-country
Defence has selected Northrop Grumman Australia as its preferred industry partner and will invest an initial $126.9 million to establish Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) production in Australia. Solid rocket motors provide the propulsion required for most guided weapons, and are in high demand worldwide. Defence says in a media release that this will strengthen the…
PM appoints new Secretary of Defence
Ms Meghan Quinn will become the next Secretary of the Department of Defence in succession to Mr Greg Moriarty who has been posted to Washinton DC as Australian Ambassador. Currently Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Ms Quinn brings with her a wide range of experience across the public sector, including positions at Treasury…
Defence to acquire PrSM and more HiMARS
Defence will spend $2.3 billion over the coming decade establishing a second long-range fires regiment and equipping it with the Lockheed Martin Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HiMARS) launch vehicles. This is understood to be the Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile (SBASM) capability sought by Defence under Project LAND8113. Lockheed…
MQ-25A Stingray achieves first flight
US prime contractor Boeing and the US Navy have successfully completed the first test flight of an operational MQ-25A Stingray™ autonomous aerial refueller. The milestone brings the Stingray closer to aircraft carrier operations and marks the beginning of a new era in naval aviation, said Boeing in a media release. During the two-hour flight, the…
Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned secure USMC contract for autonomous logistics
The US Marine Corps has awarded a US$15.5 million ($22 million) contract to Lockheed Martin Sikorsky for the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) Increment 2 program. Lockheed Martin Sikorsky will provide the Robinson R66 TURBINETRUCK, an autonomous cargo helicopter commercially developed by Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned that combines Sikorsky’s proven MATRIX™ autonomy…
Defence orders 268 new Bushmasters
Defence will invest $750 million to acquire 268 new generation Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles – Medium (PMV-M) for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Thales Australia will build the Bushmasters at its Bendigo facility, continuing more than 20 years of production of this world-leading capability. Production of the next generation Bushmaster will start in 2027. More than…
