Aussie-made drones in Ukraine but not here

Australia’s hi-tech drone technology, including portable equipment already being used in Ukraine, has attracted interest at one of the world’s biggest exhibitions of military hardware in London.

Stephen Smith, high commissioner to the UK, at the defence exhibition in London. Picture: Getty Images

Australia’s hi-tech drone technology, including portable equipment already being used in Ukraine, has attracted interest at one of the world’s biggest exhibitions of military hardware in London this week.

Australia’s military allies such as the US, Britain, Canada and Japan are looking for inexpensive, lightweight and portable drone solutions for soldiers in the field.

Some of the cutting-edge Aussie products are already being imported by Britain and the US, but the overseas markets appear surprisingly keener on the latest technology than is the Australian Defence Force.

Representatives from Australian companies showing their wares have called on the Australian government to be more flexible and quicker in using Aus­tralian products rather than having them used by overseas militaries.

While Australia is good at encouraging research and investment, manufacturing of military hardware then hits various roadblocks, some companies said.

More than 100 Australian companies specialising in military equipment are showing at the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition in east London this week.

“The aim here is about relationship development. In the defence industry space, projects take many years and require deep partnership which are developed in places like this. There is a bit of selling involved as well, where we can look for opportunities and advance Australia’s defence industries and sell our battle-proven and highly effective capabilities,” said Brigadier Grant Mason, head of ADF staff in the Britain.

Austrade executive John Brosnan said all the companies had been cleared through Australian export controls which ensured capabilities didn’t end up in the wrong hands.

Travis Reddy, the chief executive of Defendtex, a Dandenong South, Victoria company, said foreign sales were helpful but not the only way to go, and the current Australian defence procurement was “death by American”.

Link Bale of Port Macquarie’s Bale Defence. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

Brigadier Grant Mason. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

He praised the initial seed money for developing products but said Australia was becoming mired in inflexible regulations and slow decision-making, which created roadblocks.

“I understand the need to look to America in the short term so that we have the capability … but Australia needs to quarantine 5 per cent of their budget to develop a domestic alternative,” Mr Reddy said.

Defendtex’s drone40, a lightweight drone just 400mm long that can be used as a standard grenade launcher sent up to 15km away, is being used by an overseas military as well as Ukraine, courtesy of the aid package put together by the Australian and British governments.

Defendtex has made sales to Australia’s major military allies because of the relative cheapness of the drone at just $2000 each and its “bang for buck” impact, yet Australian soldiers don’t have use of the drone because of regulatory issues with the fuse.

Also in Ukraine is the Victoria-made “cardboard” drone originally designed to transport blood pack­ages that has been used by the Ukrainians against Russia kitted up with explosives. About 600 of these kits have been given to Ukraine. Michael Partridge, general manager of Innov action and Strategic Programs at Sypaq, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria, said the global trend was to trade off effectiveness for cost.

Brisbane company Skyborne Technologies also had on display its new weapon drone, due to go to market next year, but the big attraction was its associated rocket launcher which can adapt other drones into highly sophisticated weapons systems.

A Dutch-owned Bendigo-built Bushmaster was centre stage at the exhibition, as well as a lightweight rough terrain vehicle by Port Macquarie’s Bale Defence, which can be parachuted into a military field.