We must partner with resilience, innovation and competitive speed

It is hard to argue that delivering at the speed of relevance must be one of the key lessons that should be taken from the awful situation in Eastern Europe.

Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy with Hunter-class frigate program employees in front of completed blocks for the first Hunter-class frigate at the Osborne Naval Shipyard, South Australia. Picture: Salty Dingo

The war in Ukraine has caused many to stop and ponder the future character of armed conflict and, while far away, it is reasonable to conclude the ramifications of what is occurring in Europe will be felt for many years. While one can theorise which specific battlefield capability should be prioritised, it is hard to argue that delivering at the speed of relevance must be one of the key lessons that should be taken from the awful situation in Eastern Europe.

Ukraine has shown what government and defence industry partnership looks like in the face of an existential threat to a nation. It is hard not to be impressed by the rapid delivery of innovative solutions against a larger, more capable, aggressor.

Ukraine has created a new organisation called the Innovation Development Accelerator of the

Ben Hudson.

Ministry of Defence (AMoD) and appointed the Deputy Minister of Defence as the head of the Accelerator. The urgent requirements of the nation have seen unprecedented innovation and the rapid delivery of disruptive asymmetric battlefield effects through AMoD and deep partnership with industry.

Ukraine’s airborne drone forces have been rapidly developed and now regularly inflict devastating losses on conventional Russian armoured units in the east, while in the Black Sea local industry in partnership with AMoD have already developed and deployed version 5 of the Magura kamikaze drone boat, a system that has pushed Russian Naval forces back from Ukraine’s southern ports.

Closer to home, the past two years has seen a concerted effort by government to assess the future security risks faced by Australia and develop a realistic strategy to address them.

This is a significant undertaking by any measure that has seen the publication this year of Australia’s National Defence Strategy (NDS), which recommends a pivot from a balanced military force to a focused force which is able to deny adversaries attempts to project military power against Australia. A simple concept, yet it’s one that requires a co-ordinated whole-of-nation response to execute – not just within government and the ADF but across industry and academia.

We have seen many commentators casting rocks from the sidelines at this strategy; however, from within Defence it is pleasing to see a unity of purpose from both uniformed and civilian staff to execute the recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR).

What does this new defence strategy require of industry? Simply put, it requires defence industry to be capable, resilient, competitive, and innovative. I believe it is worth adding that industry needs to be a partner in this whole of nation response to the geo-strategic circumstances that face our nation.

I am incredibly proud of our national defence industry, and I believe we are all prepared to be the partner the NDS calls on us to be.

Our industry has enduring capabilities in many of the key areas that will provide the asymmetric effects and the needed resilient national response in times of conflict.

The sector is diverse and innovative: from the small companies such as Gaardtech, Sentient Vision, Innovaero or Drone Shield; our middle tier of Australian companies such as Marand, Nioa or CEA; and the many international companies that have deep Australian heritage or in-country capabilities like here at BAE, and Thales, Rheinmetall and Boeing.

Is industry ready to support government in the way that Ukrainian industry has collaborated with Ukraine’s AMoD to deliver capability at the speed of relevance? I believe we are.

Sir Michael Howard, a noted British military historian, postulated: “No matter how clearly one thinks, it is impossible to anticipate precisely the character of future conflict. The key is to not be so far off the mark that it becomes impossible to adjust once that character is revealed.”

These are wise words. The DSR has provided the direction needed and now it is time for the partnership required to deliver for our nation at the speed of relevance.

-

Ben Hudson is chief executive officer of BAE Systems Australia