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The government’s recently released Defence Industry Development Strategy will expedite the deployment of innovative technologies into the hands of Australian warfighters and establish a firmer roadmap for defence investment, an industry expert told Defence Connect.
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The Albanese government’s Defence Industry Development Strategy (DIDS), released late February, has been applauded by industry experts for creating a framework to expedite procurement, support the development of emerging technologies, and ensure “bang for buck” for Defence.
Speaking to Defence Connect, QinetiQ Australia Sector chief executive Gary Stewart explained that the document provides assurances to industry for long-term investment in the Australian market.
“The strategy provides really good context and clarity for the role that defence industry in Australia has to play in building a strategic sovereign capability for Defence. Not for now and next year, but for the decades to come,” Stewart told Defence Connect.
In his assessment of the strategy, Stewart outlined that the intended reforms to the ASDEFCON template suite will support the rapid procurement of low-risk defence capabilities, supporting Australian security amid global instability.
The comments come as fewer than one in five Australian Defence Industry Report participants said that ASDEFCON had a positive impact on their business’ ability to conduct business in the market.
Thirty-one per cent expressed concern that it had a negative impact on their business.
“The reformed ASDEFCON suite should allow for more agile and rapid procurement for high volume and low risk acquisitions,” Stewart outlined.
“When the risk is high, on the other hand, it ensures deliberate planning and early consultation with companies that can genuinely achieve the right outcomes.”
While the updated ASDEFCON suite provides a pathway for expedited acquisition, Stewart explained that DIDS will facilitate targeted investment in those future technologies needed by the Australian Defence Force.
The strategy will see the replacement of the 14 sovereign industrial capability priorities (SICPs) championed under the previous government with seven new sovereign defence industrial priorities (SDIPs).
It is hoped that the consolidation will help Australian defence businesses assess where government priorities will lie, ensuring more relevant research and development investment.
One of the new seven SDIPs, test and evaluation, certification, and systems assurance, is a particular passion of Stewart’s.
To the QinetiQ Australia Sector chief executive, the inclusion of test and evaluation in the SDIPs will be critical for the delivery of all Australian defence hardware.
“Test and evaluation is fundamental to the other six SDIPs to understand what you’re getting and how you’re using it, including minimum viable capability.
“It is vital to the effective implementation of DIDS and the capability outcomes of the Defence Strategic Review and the integrated investment program.”
Strengthening the nation’s test and evaluation capabilities will be essential for Australia’s next-generation warfighting capabilities, including nuclear-powered submarines and the domestic manufacture of guided weapons.
“Take nuclear-powered submarines, test and evaluation is important to understand the acoustic signature of this capability. It is critical for the Australian Defence Force to understand how silent it is and what it is emitting in the water.
“On GWEO, test and evaluation assesses the efficacy of warheads, how they detonate, how they react with the target or how a missile reacts to being launched from an aircraft versus a HIMARs.
“It is the one industry priority that is a cross cutting and horizontal priority. Because of this, an enterprise approach to test and evaluation is needed to bring together the right ecosystem of people, technologies, and infrastructure to address the growing complexities Australia faces.”
The landmark defence strategy was released on 29 February by Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
