DroneShield announces South Australia R&D Facility

Sydney based DroneShield will invest $13 million over three years to establish a new Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) R&D facility in Adelaide, South Australia. The new site is expected to be fully up and running by March 2026 and will be led by Jeff Wojtiuk, a former Lockheed Martin Australia defence engineering leader with a background in RF design and electronic warfare.

Together with planned expansions to its Australian and international R&D footprint, DroneShield’s has reached a significant company milestone, surpassing 400 employees globally, the company says. This expansion in South Australia is concurrent with DroneShield’s Sydney, European, and US manufacturing initiatives, against the backdrop of record global demand and surging drone attacks, it adds.

This $13 million investment will cover three years of operational and capital expenditure. It will initially create around 20 high-skilled engineering roles in Adelaide, focused on Radio Frequency (RF) electronics, EW, and systems integration, to directly support DroneShield’s mission to deliver cutting-edge defence technologies.

“South Australia is recognised as a national leader in defence and space industries, with Adelaide home to a highly skilled and experienced workforce,” says Oleg Vornik, DroneShield Chief Executive. “Establishing our first R&D office in Australia outside of our Sydney Headquarters is a strategic move that supports DroneShield’s mission to deliver world-leading counter-drone and EW solutions.

“DroneShield’s growth to 400 employees globally – with the majority of our team being engineers – reflects our commitment to deep technical capability and delivery.”

Much of DroneShield’s manufacturing takes place in South Australia and the company says its expansion there complements its existing engineering operations in Sydney and supports DroneShield’s continued growth in advanced RF electronics and EW capabilities. Adelaide has been chosen due to its proximity to leading global defence and aerospace organisations, a highly skilled engineering workforce, and established infrastructure supporting advanced technology development, particularly in EW and RF systems, the company adds.

“DroneShield’s new R&D facility in Adelaide marks a significant step forward in our commitment to ensuring our technology roadmap is being supported by the best engineering minds nationally,” says Angus Bean, DroneShield Chief Product and Technology Officer. “Our new facility is critical to accelerating the development of our next-generation counter-drone and EW technologies, while expanding our engineering footprint and supporting critical project development for global customers”.

DroneShield has nearly doubled its team in the past year and more than quadrupled it over the past two years, says the company. Approximately 300 of these employees are software and hardware engineers, it adds, reinforcing DroneShield’s position as a world-leading technology company focused on delivering advanced defence capabilities.