Feds to spend up to $7bn on anti-drone tech
The Federal Government will spend billions of taxpayer dollars on technology to counter drones, which are fast becoming the way wars are waged on the front lines.
The Federal Government today announced it would spend up to $7 billion on counter-drone technology over the next decade, with two Victorian companies landing early contracts.
Federal Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the government was “building a stronger and more resilient defence industry”.
“With the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East showing how uncrewed aerial systems are increasingly being employed in conflict, the development of sovereign counter-drone solutions is essential to ensure the Australian Defence Force can detect, assess and respond to these threats,” Conroy said.
Victoria-based AI tracking laser systems developer AIM Defence landed a $21.3 million conract to enhance its high-powered counter-drone laser system to counter individual and swarms of drones.
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It has invented a system capable of tracking objects as small as a 10-cent piece at more than 100kmph, while its laser is powerful enough to burn through steel.
SYPAQ – another Victorian company – was awarded a $10.4 million investment to develop an interceptor drone designed to track, target and destroy other drones commonly used on the battlefield.
Shares in ASX-listed anti-drone tech business DroneShield rallied on the announcement, rising 9 per cent in morning trade.
DroneShield recently announced it would open a new $13 million research and development hub in Adelaide, citing the SA capital’s proximity to leading global defence and aerospace organisations.
The new R&D centre – backed by a $13 million investment – is expected to initially create 20 high-skilled roles, with those employed to work on the company’s high-tech anti-drone technologies, the said in an announcement to shareholders in October last year.
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