Even as anti-war protesters battled with police outside the Melbourne Convention Centre on Wednesday, a sense of cool, corporate calm prevailed on the other side of Victoria Police’s ring of steel.
Inside the vast building, after negotiating layers of security checks, military officials, lobbyists and weapons makers had gathered for one of the world’s biggest defence exhibitions.
Government aides in suits mingled with soldiers in uniform, while university professors, industry journalists and even the odd diplomat picked over sandwich buffets.
Bernie Maus commands a US-made Abrams tank. He says the new models unveiled at Land Forces offer better intelligence, maintenance and communication. “It’s not just about the sexy guns.”Credit: Eddie Jim
On the convention floor, the BAE stand briefly took centre stage when the British weapons company unveiled a new uncrewed combat truck, the Atlas, to cheers, dazzling lights and pounding music.
It was one of many armoured vehicles quietly brought in under cover of darkness in the lead-up to Wednesday – “matériel”, as it is known in the trade.
“And there is a lot of matériel here,” organisers confirmed.
The three-day event, staged with support of the Australian Defence Force and the state government, and a decent dollop of corporate sponsorship topped-up by ticket sales, is closed to the public.
Land Forces is billed as a chance to bring much of the defence world together, from the US military to manufacturers in the Czech Republic, to show off its latest technology.
When The Age visited on Wednesday, there were exhibits boasting new tech like quantum sensors, or geared to humanitarian aims: bringing clean water (and portable loos) to war zones, or developing armour for dogs at the front line.
But throughout, guns, drones, armoured vehicles and missiles were on display, some of them from companies like Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, targeted by protesters for their direct ties to the Israeli Defence Forces and the war in Gaza.
BAE unveils its new uncrewed armoured vechicle at the Land Forces expo.Credit: Sherryn Groch
The biggest pieces of matériel were at the back of the expo hall.
If you build up enough speed in a 60-tonne tank, you can jump a trench or a stream, said Bernie Maus, who commands Abrams tanks for the ADF. “It’s just not much fun if you’re inside it.”
As business cards – and the odd drone – flew around the expo, Maus was standing guard over the latest Abrams model, one of 75 soon to arrive in Australia from the US, and newly unveiled on Wednesday.
Behind the Abrams was a slightly more demure 40-tonne Redback armoured vehicle, otherwise known as a “battle taxi”, built to ferry soldiers to front lines. Korean company Hanwha is soon to start production on a new line of Redbacks, as well as the smaller Huntsman truck at a plant in Geelong opened last month.
“Some of it is very Batman.” Rob Fickling of SORD Australia, which makes bespoke uniforms for industry needs, from utility belts to shoulder harnesses for soldiers carrying wounded dogs.Credit: Eddie Jim
Asked about the obvious elephant (or 60-tonne tank) in the room – the protest outside – some attendees shrugged. “How will Australia defend itself if we don’t have the best matériel?” said one defence official, who did not wish to be named, a common request inside the expo walls. “I do understand wanting transparency,” said another.
While some attendees had been shouted at – or, in a handful of cases, attacked – on their way through the crowds, most had made it in without incident. “It’s another world in here,” said a Lockheed Martin staffer.
A Lockheed Martin precision strike missile on display at the Land Forces expo.Credit: Eddie Jim
Walking in, Rob Fickling of Sord Australia found his eye caught not by the protesters, but by the police uniforms. “I designed the new uniform for the critical incident response team,” he said, holding up one of his company’s bespoke utility belts. “Some of it is very Batman. And they’re fireproof by the way, with all the bins set on fire outside.”
Travis Reddy at DefendTex with a drone the Australian company is testing in Ukraine against Russian forces and wants to build cheaper missiles in Australia to send over.Credit: Eddie Jim
“They’re holding up well,” laughed a passing police officer patrolling inside.
Organisers said attendees hadn’t been put off by the protests, with the turnout of a few thousand already surpassing last year’s expo in Brisbane. The Victorian government, having spent millions bringing in extra police to patrol the expo, had set out its own sprawling stall, promoting local companies such as Sypaq, which has sent cardboard drones to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s invasion.
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