Leading the SYPAQ: Victorian SME lands multiple Defence projects

Melbourne's SYPAQ Systems has, so far, been awarded a $172,000 contract to provide a small, lightweight, next generation power generator and a $274,000 contract to investigate new and innovative methods for Air Force to process, exploit and disseminate complex ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) data.

SYPAQ's general manger for sensors and surveillance Ross Osborne said the first contract, which will see the company develop a power generator tailored to land environments that can be used by individual soldiers and vehicle-based forces, will see the Victorian company partner with a Tasmanian SME.

"For the Next Generation Generator Project, we are partnering with Currawong Engineering, a Tasmanian SME with advanced manufacturing, testing and R&D capabilities," said Osborne.

Osborne said the company is excited to continue its strong relationship with Defence and potentially contribute to new defence export opportunities.

"It’s exciting to see Defence making such a strong commitment to Australian companies," he said. "These innovation projects will allow SYPAQ to develop leading edge military technology for the ADF right here in Australia, with the potential to generate strong export opportunities, allowing us to expand and offer new employment opportunities for aspiring young engineers."

Defence Connect spoke with managing director for SYPAQ David Vicino, who said the second project will utilise the company's specialty skills in software systems and C4ISREW (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare).

"[ISR] certainly is a specialty of ours and has been for many years, including the development of software systems in the C4ISREW domains," said Vicino.

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"It's been part of our pedigree for the 25 years we've been in existence and over the last seven or eight years, we've certainly honed more of our attention on designing and deploying ISR software systems in a military sense."

Vicino said the new projects will not only be a continuation of the SME's successful relationship with Defence, but an opportunity for the company to help foster an innovative and local supply chain.

"They [the projects] will be entirely undertaken here in Australia," said Vicino. "All of the analysis activity that we're undertaking for phase one of these projects will be done here in Australia.

"Pretty much the majority of all large projects that defence has embarked on the last 25 years, we've had some involvement with at some stage. I don't like singling any out because we cover everything from the large maritime projects to large ICT projects, as well as land and air, so I would say that most of the large complex projects that defence has delivered over the last 25 years, we've had some role to play from an engineering advisory perspective.

"We have a deliberate strategy to span several domains and sectors whilst doing so with the highest degree of technical expertise and service excellence. We're certainly not your everyday SME. I prefer to think of SYPAQ as a broad based systems integrator and engineering company."

After 25 years of contributing to and shaping Defence projects, SYPAQ has no plans to slow down, with the SME planning more proposals to go through the defence innovation hub.

"For the majority of our proposals, we took it upon ourselves to submit proposals under the innovation hub and they were based on what we had learned over the last 25 years with regard to current military technology and applications and our knowledge of what we can do in order to innovate and add value to our military," explained Vicino.

"It wasn't just 'here's a harebrained idea, let's try it with defence and hope for the best'. We were informed by 25 years of working with defence as an engineering consulting company and therefore when the innovation hub was seeking proposals for technology that might be applicable into the future, we saw the opportunity to present what we think would add value to one of our larger clients.

"We hope to have more proposals going into the innovation hub over the coming months," said Vicino.

SYPAQ Systems employs 190 people and is headquartered in Melbourne, with offices across Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.

SYPAQ has contributed to a range of Defence projects across land, sea, aerospace and C4ISREW sectors, including: JP 2072 – Battlespace Communications System (Land) – CDD Development; JP 2025 – Jindalee Operational Radar Network; SEA 1348 – ANZAC Ships – Training, Systems Engineering and Server Upgrade; LAND 17 – Indirect Fire Weapon System Systems Engineering; and AIR 9000 Phase 2 – MRH90 Systems Engineering.