South Australia’s cutting-edge defence and space tech on display at Avalon Airshow 2025
A delegation of more than 60 South Australian-based defence companies will converge on Avalon to demonstrate cutting-edge innovation and research technologies.
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Home to seven of the world’s top 10 defence companies, some of the most hi-tech and innovative small and medium enterprises, and research and development institutes working at the cutting-edge, South Australia is at the forefront of the nation’s defence and space endeavours.
The state provides critical support to Australia’s aerospace programs, hosts a significant and diverse range of defence facilities and is home to a growing space industry delivering space-derived services and innovation to support next-generation defence technologies.
As Australia’s premier aviation, aerospace and defence expo, the Avalon Australian International Airshow attracts top decision makers from around the world. The biennial 2023 event attracted record-breaking attendance, with 48,516 attendees across the three dedicated trade days, and a total of 248,000 attendances from both the trade and public across the entire event.
Defence SA, the South Australian Government’s lead agency for all defence and space matters, has been hosting a South Australian delegation at Avalon for more than a decade, growing from an initial 12 exhibitors in 2011 to more than 60 exhibitors for the 2025 event.
This year’s powerhouse South Australian delegation will showcase the state’s cutting-edge defence industry and space capabilities on the global stage. Defence companies will be joined by the state’s three universities and the Defence Innovation Partnership – the South Australian Government’s catalyst for defence-relevant research – highlighting South Australia’s expertise in defence and national security research and development.
Fuelling collaboration and the exchange of ideas, South Australia’s industry leaders will be front and centre – forging connections, demonstrating technologies and expertise and shaping the future of the nation’s defence and aerospace sectors.
REDARC Defence & Space – a leading provider of ruggedised electronics and power solutions for the defence and space industries – recently announced the company will be demonstrating its flexible, reliable and integrated power solutions at Avalon 2025, with a focus on its Power Distribution System (PDS) and collaborative partnerships. The showcase will feature integrated technologies designed to provide solutions to tactical operators with enhanced situational awareness, to make informed decisions and respond effectively to threats.
“At Avalon Airshow 2025, we’re demonstrating the future of mission-critical power solutions, where innovation and collaboration are key to success in the electrified battlespace,” executive general manager Scott Begbie said.
REDARC Defence & Space’s solutions integrate with the Team Awareness Kit (TAK) network, enhancing situational awareness by providing real-time power telemetry data from remote battlefield devices. The PDS is central to these solutions, offering critical power management capabilities in the demanding environment of the electrified battlespace.
The business is also collaborating with industry leaders, including Silentium Defence, ST Engineering, Systel, Sovereign Propulsion Systems, DroneShield, DTC Codan, JKSM and C3 Systems to deliver an integrated and effective solution to support the power management needs of advanced military operations.
Other major exhibitors include Nova Systems – a global leading engineering services, advisory and technology solutions provider – Ascent – an Australian, Veteran-owned company specialising in support to defence and related industries – and Saber Astronautics, a global space operations provider.
South Australian headquartered Saber Astronautics is highlighting its space mission operations and space domain awareness technology and services at Avalon, including its award-winning SDA Space Cockpit Battle Management System (SBMS). Already deployed by space commands globally, including the US Space Force and their Space Deltas, the advanced system plays a critical role in space domain awareness, missile warning, GPS constellation protection and space warfare operations.
Saber Astronautics Head of Business Development Maria Xygkaki said Avalon is a strategic opportunity to reinforce the company’s leading role in the Australian space sector, while engaging with industry leaders and fostering collaborations that drive innovation and growth. “Saber’s presence at Avalon is essential to showcasing our expertise and capabilities in space mission operations to key stakeholders in the aerospace and defence industries,” Ms Xygkaki said.
“We look forward to engaging with industry leaders, defence organisations and potential partners to explore collaboration opportunities and highlight how Saber’s advanced technologies can contribute to the future of secure and efficient space operations.”
South Australia’s Norseld Photonics is also part of Defence SA’s Avalon delegation. As a leading provider of precision optical and laser solutions in Australia, the company partners with Defence companies on projects ranging from space optics through to infra-red thermal cameras.
At Avalon, Norseld will explore how it can meet the future demands of the nation’s Air Force in the electro-optics space. “Through our recent acquisition of BAES Photonics, Norseld Photonics is well placed to support the maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade of electro-optics solutions for Australian Defence Force aircraft,” CEO Peter Shute said.
“Avalon gives us the opportunity to consolidate the work we are doing in electro-optics and engage influencers and decision makers in one place.”
Visit the South Australia – the Defence State stand in Hall 3, Stand 3M25 to discover how South Australia is leading the way in the nation’s defence and space sectors.
More information, including details of aerospace projects in SA, infrastructure and profiles on all SA companies on the Defence State stand, can be found at defencesa.com/avalon
Milestones for SA’s space sector
South Australia has cemented its status as a global space leader, with two major milestones highlighting the state’s growing prominence in space innovation and technology.
The state marked a historic moment earlier this month by hosting the first commercial space re-entry on Australian soil. US-based Varda Space Industries, a trailblazer in the commercialisation of re-entry technology, partnered with South Australia’s Southern Launch to facilitate the return of its W-2 capsule.
The capsule carried payloads from the US Air Force, NASA and research that will expand Varda’s in-orbit pharmaceutical processing capability. It touched down at the Koonibba Test Range, a 41,000km sq commercial launch and re-entry port operated by Southern Launch on the state’s west coast. Southern Launch chief executive officer Lloyd Damp said the mission marked an incredible step forward for the national space sector as the global landing site for re-entries and the in-space manufactured goods the capsules carry. “Southern Launch is looking forward to continuing to contribute our world-class facilities, re-entry permitting, and range operations to future missions with Varda and their partners,” he said.
The achievement makes South Australia the national centre for the full space flight ecosystem – from launching into space, to supporting the industry that is testing and manufacturing in space, and returning safely to Earth. The mission followed a year-long effort by Austrade and the South Australian Government, which facilitated negotiations between Varda, Southern Launch, the Australian Space Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
In another significant milestone, South Australia also unveiled the first images from its Kanyini satellite earlier this month. Launched in August 2024, Kanyini is a joint initiative between the South Australian Government, SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) as mission lead and local companies, Inovor Technologies and Myriota.
Capturing high resolution views of South Australian regions, Kanyini’s first images demonstrate the incredible depth of data the satellite will be able to provide and mark an important milestone in the satellite’s journey to becoming fully operational.
The vast amount of data behind each image allows them to be processed to reveal infrared details, ordinarily invisible to the human eye, that can be used in monitoring crop health, vegetation density and changes in inland and coastal water conditions.
SmartSat CRC chief executive officer Professor Andy Koronios said work was ongoing to ensure the full commissioning of the satellite. “These first images are the result of years of hard work and dedication from our talented team of engineers as they work through the on-board commissioning of the spacecraft,” he said.
“SmartSat is proud to be funding a suite of projects in artificial intelligence, on-board processing and machine learning aimed at using the data gathered by Kanyini to address challenges in agriculture, water management and the environment.”
Inovor Technologies’ chief executive officer Dr Matt Tetlow, who will be exhibiting on the South Australian stand at Avalon, said the delivery of the first images was a proud moment for the mission team.
“This achievement reinforces Australia’s growing sovereign capability in space technology,” he said. “We look forward to further calibration and data collection in the coming months. Every step of the commissioning process brings us closer to unlocking the full potential of Kanyini’s data, which will provide invaluable insights for environmental monitoring and resource management.”
These landmark achievements demonstrate the rapid growth of South Australia’s space sector, driven by innovation, cutting-edge technology and ongoing government.
The South Australian Space Industry Centre, within Defence SA, will present an interactive exhibition at Avalon 2025, showcasing the Kanyini satellite imagery and the depth of expertise driving the state’s space ambitions forward.
Inovor’s latest launch
With its third satellite now in orbit, leading Adelaide space and defence company Inovor Technologies is setting its focus on the 2025 Avalon Australian International Airshow.
The Lot Fourteen-based company – which earlier this month successfully oversaw the launch of the Buccaneer SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California – will be a key part of the expansive Defence SA delegation.
Inovor Technologies’ chief executive officer Dr Matthew Tetlow says the biennial three-day event is an important way of showcasing South Australia’s defence industry and space capabilities on the world stage.
“It’s a powerful platform and we’re excited to share our innovations and showcase why SA is at the forefront of the space and defence industry,” he says.
“For Inovor, Avalon is a chance to showcase our expertise in designing and manufacturing world-class satellite technology, reinforcing our promise in delivering agile, reliable, and mission-ready solutions for defence and commercial applications.”
One of 60 SA companies in the Defence SA delegation at this year’s event, Inovor will be showcasing a full-scale, 1:1 engineering model of its flagship Space Situational Awareness mission satellite Hyperion.
Dr Tetlow says the main objective of the Buccaneer Main Mission is to collect high-frequency measurements in Low Earth Orbit to better understand radio-frequency propagation through the ionosphere.
Developed by Defence Science and Technology Group, the mission has been supported by Inovor’s provision of a spacecraft bus and operations experience.
Integration and space qualification tests of the flight model spacecraft occurred over the past 12 months – led by DSTG scientists and engineers at DSTG Edinburgh in Adelaide – before the team shipped the spacecraft to California where final checks were performed.
The Buccaneer was integrated into the SpaceX launch stack in early 2025.
Following its launch, initial contact with the satellite was made “within a few seconds” of its first pass after its launch on Saturday, March 15, with the team then continuing the commissioning from the DSTG’s mission control centre at Edinburgh.
“Buccaneer is a testament to the power of collaboration in space and defence,” Dr Tetlow says.
Inovor’s first satellite, SpIRIT – a space exploration endeavour led by the Melbourne Space Laboratory at the University of Melbourne with the co-operation of the Italian Space Agency and the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics – was launched in November 2023.
The second, Australia’s first state-owned satellite, Kanyini, was deployed on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission in August 2024.
The satellite will deliver critical space data to support future research projects by government and research institutions, particularly in the areas of sustainability and climate impacts.
The Avalon Australian International Airshow 2025 runs from today until Sunday at Avalon Airport in Victoria. See airshow.com.au for more.
Originally published as South Australia’s cutting-edge defence and space tech on display at Avalon Airshow 2025
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