Supporting Australian industry innovation

As leaders in the Australian defence industry, our commitment and investment must be laser-focused on growing sovereign industry capability as we develop advanced systems for Australia’s national security. 

Collaborative partnerships enable the very best of innovation but must exist in an environment conducive to meaningful integration, protective of intellectual property and cyber threats all while maintaining a high degree of relevancy. The partnership must consider the continuum of large to small enterprises, traditional and non-traditional industries, academia and government organisations working together to achieve the best operational outcomes. Lockheed Martin has embraced this approach globally as a reflection of enabling technology but also customer desire for better outcomes.  

Locally, we have embraced a partnering approach in some highly complex programs like Joint Air Battle Management (AIR6500), Military Satellite Communications (JP9102) and the Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise. The physical and technological epicenter of this collaboration is the Lockheed Martin Australia Endeavour Centre. Just as the name Endeavour courses through the history of exploration, the centre is purpose-designed for customer, industry and academia partners to discover and overcome challenges together.

Opened in 2018, the Endeavour Centre is a facility designed to “enhance the experience to engage, explore, test, conceptualise and problem solve through innovation and enterprise”. The centre recently received a significant upgrade to enhance the user experience and improve the collaboration technology, as we looked to expand opportunities for our partners to showcase their products as an integrated system. In modern defence language, the Endeavour Centre is a joint all-domain operations environment capable of providing live, virtual and constructive experiences. This inherent flexibility has showcased demonstrations for integrated air and missile defence, air battle management and undersea warfare technologies.

Behind the scenes of this $10-million facility, the Endeavour Centre employs a first-rate operational analysis team to manage state-of-the-art software tools, classified facility accreditation and an operational testbed for 21st century security. Its advanced software tools provide battlespace simulation using applications like Advanced Simulation Combat Operations Trainer and Command Professional Edition integrated with Prepar3D-powered flight simulators.  Together, these tools create environments that test systems, developers and operators alike.

The Endeavour Centre has hosted nearly 100 events since 2019, including demonstrations of integrated air and missile defence, small and medium enterprise showcases, research and development presentations, operational analysis and community events. The centre regularly serves as the demonstration venue for Lockheed Martin’s STELaRLaB’s bi-annual technology showcase, as well as for innovative R&D concepts and prototype technologies the lab develops for Defence programs. Like most technology companies, we live STEM every day, so it was impactful to host the Code Quest Australia programming competition for local high school students, and the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge for university students from Australia and overseas. There is definitely a “cool factor” introducing these future engineers to such a “cutting-edge” environment.

Located at the company’s Australian headquarters in Canberra, the Endeavour Centre was designed and built in collaboration with Exposure Group, a talented Australian company based in Sydney, along with their technology partner, Innovative Production Services. The centre features more than 550 square metres of reconfigurable demonstration space capable of multiple applications, layouts and operational outcomes. The centre can also reach beyond the physical boundary with a global networking capability to customer’s R&D centres, partner labs, STELaRLaB in Melbourne and our laboratories in the United States, such as The Lighthouse and the Innovation Demonstration Center.

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The centerpiece of the demonstration area is the high-resolution LED video wall – roughly the size of 12 65” televisions stacked two high, with a 60-seat presentation space. The demonstration area also includes:

• a “Command Centre of the Future” for advanced command and control concepts;
• a deployed operations cabin for replicating defence operations;
• a scaled model of an ADF Hawkei light tactical vehicle with functioning operator positions for experimenting with innovative concepts; and 
• F-35 Lightning II fighter and MH-60R maritime helicopter simulators.

A dedicated collaboration space is used for tabletop exercises, workshops, wargaming and other decision-making drills. It is also highly reconfigurable, with whiteboards covering the walls, supported by audio-visual systems and break-out rooms. The focus of this area is on the interaction of people and the decisions that they make.

By harnessing the power of partnership and Australian ingenuity, the Endeavour Centre continues to play a key role in the pursuit of Australia’s future national security.

Kendell Kuczma is the Australian capture manager, AIR6500 at Lockheed Martin Australia.