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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
12 Sep 23. Lockheed Martin UK Launches Team Black Hawk for UK’s New Medium Helicopter Requirement Caption: The European-built Black Hawk helicopter. Lockheed Martin outlined its team of UK partners and the benefits of choosing the advanced, Sikorsky Black Hawk® helicopter to replace the UK’s aging mixed medium helicopter fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin) Proposal spells hundreds of high-tech jobs for UK workers and industry LONDON, Sept. 12, 2023 – Today at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition, Lockheed Martin announced its intention to participate in the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement. It outlined its team of UK partners and the benefits of choosing the advanced, Sikorsky Black Hawk® helicopter to replace the UK’s aging mixed medium helicopter fleet. Lockheed Martin also outlined its plan to collaborate with those UK partners to create a multitude of opportunities for UK industry, including jobs and opportunities in export, manufacturing and future technology development. Lockheed Martin estimates nearly 40% of total Black Hawk production and assembly will occur in the UK and will support, on average, 660* UK jobs a year between 2025 and 2030. The plan also creates ~£470 m of export opportunities for UK partners manufacturing sub[1]systems and components over the next 10 years, equivalent to 40% of the Total Programme Value, based on the expected export market to Black Hawk customers. The company’s estimate includes ongoing fleet sustainment that will support approximately 320 jobs a year for decades to come when the UK Black Hawk fleet is in-service. On announcing Lockheed Martin UK’s proposal, Chief Executive Paul Livingston said: “The newest generation of the Black Hawk is proven, versatile and ready now. It’s not only the right choice for UK Defence, it’s the right choice for UK industry and it will create a generation of high-skilled jobs here in Britain.” News Release Furthermore, UK participation in the Black Hawk programme would open the door for UK industry to take part in the development and production of Lockheed Martin’s next generation rotorcraft solutions, creating a potential 45-year pipeline of work and exports for UK companies.
Creating Jobs in the UK As part of today’s Team Black Hawk announcement, Lockheed Martin formally signed a teaming agreement with Gosport-based StandardAero as Team Black Hawk’s aircraft assembly, testing, delivery, maintenance and integration partner for UK-unique equipment and systems, which will bring highly skilled jobs to an economically deprived area of the UK. StandardAero in Gosport will be the home of the Black Hawk in the UK and together with Lockheed Martin, Martin-Baker Aircraft Company in Denham, Curtiss-Wright in Christchurch, Chelton in Marlow, Inzspire in Lincoln, C3iA Solutions in Poole, Nova Systems in Filton, and Ascent Flight Training & CAE at RAF Benson will create 660 high-skilled jobs and decades of UK workshare through the UK Black Hawk’s lifecycle. “StandardAero is delighted to be teaming with Lockheed Martin UK on this once-in-a-generation helicopter programme. For StandardAero UK it will mean upwards of 175 new, highly skilled, jobs in one of the more economically deprived local areas of the UK, with many more throughout our UK-based supply chain,” said Simon Jones, StandardAero Group Managing Director, Europe. The Black Hawk will be assembled in the UK to meet the MOD’s specific requirements by a team of industrial partners including StandardAero. Lockheed Martin examined all potential partners for the assembly aspect of Black Hawk in the UK and concluded that StandardAero was the most experienced and capable partner. The Black Hawk fleet will sustain UK jobs across the nation, including areas where levelling up is a critical need. In addition to providing a proven, advanced, affordable and interoperable helicopter platform that delivers unparalleled performance to the MOD, Lockheed Martin will fulfil provisions of the contract with its UK industry partners for robust training capabilities, maintenance and spares packages, component integration, as well as overall programme management. Black Hawk is the Right Choice The Black Hawk has earned its standing as a trusted helicopter for operators worldwide, along with its advanced digital avionics, unmatched multi-mission versatility and military-grade airworthiness. Other advantages of the aircraft include: • The Black Hawk is designed and built to rigorous military requirements and is easily maintained during remote and deployed operations and is capable of operating in extreme weather conditions, day or night. • Already in service with 35 nations, including NATO partners, it has flown an unprecedented 15 m flight hours, with five m of those hours in combat conditions.
The UK will also benefit from the interoperability across the allied services. • As a 100% military helicopter, its operating and support costs are considerably less than more fragile commercial aircraft pressed into military use.
• With more than 5,000 Black Hawks delivered worldwide, the global network of spare parts and services, combined with Lockheed Martin’s industry plan for sustainment in the UK, will allow the UK to take advantage of a robust supply chain.
• The Black Hawk currently delivers an average of 90% availability to its operators.
• Continuous modernisation efforts and strong U.S. Army support will see the Black Hawk sustained and in operation well into the 2070s. Today’s announcement comes as Lockheed Martin and its competitors await the MOD’s formal issuance of the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN). To learn more about Black Hawk for UK NMH, visit: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/uknmh.
12 Sep 23. £670k shared by two innovators in first round of DTEP funding. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) announces grant funding for two innovative small companies to develop cutting-edge projects with higher-tier partners under the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP)
- The innovators selected in Cycle 1 of DTEP are Filtronic Broadband and ISS Aerospace
- DTEP is a £16m programme that aims to boost Small and Medium-Sized enterprises (SMEs) defence innovation
- More innovative SME projects will be selected in future DTEP Cycles
The first two innovative SMEs to receive funding through the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) have been announced.
Through DTEP, the SMEs – Filtronic Broadband and ISS Aerospace – will each receive a government grant, worth 50 per cent of the project value, to partner with a larger supplier to develop innovative new solutions that meet defence challenges.
DTEP, which seeks to improve the competitiveness of the UK Defence supply chain, is sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Innovate UK, and ADS.
A key element of DTEP is collaboration between an SME supplier and a higher-tier partner that already has experience of working with defence. The sponsoring higher-tier partner will contribute time, effort and resources to work with the SMEs in these collaborative innovation projects.
The £16m programme aims to inspire companies to win new business, develop industrial capabilities and provide new and cutting-edge answers to defence problems. The two funded SMEs in Cycle 1 will be followed by more projects selected through further Cycles during 2023-24.
DTEP offers grant funding of up to 50 per cent of total project expenditure for projects up to 18 months in duration – up to a £500,000 grant for a project up to £1m.
Applications to DTEP can be made by UK-registered SMEs looking to form a collaboration with a UK-registered higher-tier supplier to help integrate and take the novel solution to market. The key areas of interest for proposals are set out in detail on the DTEP portal and are aligned with the Defence Capability Framework. DTEP guidance can be accessed here.
Anita Friend, Head of DASA, said: “Congratulations to these first two SMEs on receiving DTEP funding. Working with their higher-tier partners, their projects will deliver new innovations into the UK defence supply chain, helping to meet the MOD’s enduring capability challenges while developing their businesses.
“Through DTEP, the value to the larger partner companies is that they will have early access to new and exciting technologies, material or processes that they can to help commercialise.”
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: “DTEP is lighting a fire under pioneering defence technology being developed by the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises. Backing these innovations to help enter the defence supply chain can be crucial to modernising the battlefield and making personnel safer, better equipped and more integrated.”
For further background see the article DASA launches DTEP.
Congratulations to the successful Cycle 1 SMEs
Filtronic Broadband (grant funding £169,604; total project cost £339,209) is collaborating with a major aerospace company to manufacture and test plastic encapsulated Transmit Receive Modules (TRMs) for electronically scanned radar systems. The TRMs use the latest high power density compound semiconductor materials. Plastic encapsulation is much lighter and significantly cheaper compared to ceramic alternatives. Initially to be used in airborne radars, it is applicable to other detector, sensor and communication systems for defence and commercial applications.
“This opportunity not only demonstrates our technological expertise but also strengthens our commitment to supporting the UK’s defence industry, its sovereign supply chain and future radar programmes. We are excited to be part of this programme,” said Tudor Williams, director of technology at Filtronic.
ISS Aerospace (grant funding £499,992; total project cost £999,984) is working with higher tier partner Marshall Futureworx, to develop a heavy-lift Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) – a drone – that will use an aviation-fuelled hybrid electric turbine generator power plant instead of rechargeable battery packs. This does not require complex electrical infrastructure for re-charging batteries in the field. The UAS will provide a payload of 250kg – more than two fully-equipped soldiers – and have a potential range approaching 100km.
ISS Aerospace CEO Ryan Kempley said: “We are excited to have been selected for funding in DTEP Cycle 1. Our Heavy Lift UAS will be capable of carrying a range of payloads and therefore able to fulfil numerous potential roles for both military and commercial security operators. We have worked with DASA on several occasions – this time through DTEP – and it continues to be a positive and helpful experience.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
12 Sep 23. Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP): Advanced electronics partners zero in on joint project delivery set-up The three nations’ sensing and protection leads are close to agreeing a commercial and operating arrangement to deliver the new combat aircraft’s on-board electronics At the DSEI exhibition in London, the industry champions for defence electronics from the UK, Italy and Japan have announced that they are working towards agreeing a joint project delivery set-up for GCAP’s ISANKE & ICS domain (Integrated Sensing and Non-Kinetic Effects & Integrated Communications Systems). The companies, Leonardo UK representing the UK, Mitsubishi Electric representing Japan and both Leonardo and ELT Group representing Italy, are assessing a number of alternative operational and commercial models. The partners have identified that a joint project delivery set-up will be the most efficient and effective way of delivering the programme at pace, as well as ensuring freedom of action and modification for all three nations. This latest development follows the signing of an ISANKE & ICS domain collaboration agreement, announced in March, and moves the partners closer to the creation of a permanent industrial construct. To meet GCAP’s 2035 target, the partners agree that new ways of working will be required and have held intensive discussions to reevaluate legacy programme structures, infrastructure and performance metrics. The objective is to create a transformative new model of international business and technical collaboration that allows for progress at pace. ISANKE & ICS is the advanced electronics on-board the GCAP combat aircraft, providing the aircrew with mission-critical information and advanced self-protection capabilities.
A core reason why the new GCAP combat aircraft is considered next generation, the new concept transitions from the traditional combat air model of separate airborne sensors to instead provide a fully integrated sensing, fusion and self-protection capability. At the same time, the integrated communications system will allow ISANKE to operate as a network across formations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, as part of each nations’ wider, multi-domain system-of-systems. In addition to commercial discussions, over the last few months the domain partners have also made significant progress on the technical side of the programme, with the ISANKE & ICS subsystem passing a three nation systems review. As well as virtual working, engineers from Leonardo, Mitsubishi Electric and ELT Group have come together in-person on multiple occasions as the domain has progressed towards the systems review stage. This key gate in the ongoing joint concept activity means that the partners have agreed on the high-level design of the ISANKE & ICS sub-system: what will the key blocks of the system be, where will they sit in the aircraft and what will they do. Passing this gate has provided more certainty for the direction of research and development work and supports the new combat aircraft going into service in 2035. At the same time, all of the partners have progressed the development of a number of critical underlying technologies, including in the fields of radar, electro-optics and electronic warfare. The collaboration has also laid the groundwork for aligning the firm’s 2 journeys of digital transformation as they prepare for more intensive joint engineering on across national borders in a secure manner. The ISANKE & ICS domain partners represent some of the most skilled and cutting-edge engineering work in their three respective countries. Together, the partners expect to inspire and train a new generation of engineers and businesspeople who will be able to meet the challenging requirements of the next 50 years and beyond in the defence sensing and communications domain.
07 Sep 23. UK scopes transition plan for directed energy weapons. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is embarking on a three-year ‘Transition Phase’ programme designed to support the development and delivery of directed energy weapon (DEW) systems tothe UK armed forces over the next five to 10 years. In a briefing note promulgated on 1 September industry has been asked to help shape the UK DEW procurement strategy by providing early input to guide planning and policy. At this stage, the MoD is leaning towards a framework arrangement that would allow it to leverage expertise from a wide range of suppliers across all tiers of the supply chain.
Being led by the Directed Energy Weapons team within the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation, the new DEW road map is intended to result in the fielding of laser DEW (LDEW) and radio frequency DEW (RFDEW) systems for air-defence and counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) applications. The work will build on prior DEW maturation and learning, including lessons learned from three capability demonstrator projects expected to start user experimentation in 2024. (Source: Janes)
09 Sep 23. Type 23 Frigate HMS Westminster’s refit and future status have sparked queries in the House of Commons, with John Healey, the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, seeking clarification.
In September 2022, HMS Westminster played a notable role in Operation Atlantic Thunder 22, discharging two Harpoon missiles in collaboration with US forces, leading to the sinking of the decommissioned US frigate, USS Boone.
John Healey posed the question: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status of HMS Westminster is; and whether his Department has made a decision on modernisation.”
James Cartlidge, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, responded, “HMS Westminster remains in Devonport dockyard and is part of a modernisation programme being implemented to all Type 23s that are in upkeep. We do not disclose the fine detail of forward availability forecasts to preserve the operational security of the Fleet.”
Adding context, HMS Westminster was recently moved from the Frigate Support Centre to 4 Basin in Devonport, likely for a long-term lay-up, signalling a possible decision on its disposal.
This action followed reports from 2023 suggesting that the ship’s intended two-year refit, started in October 2022 to extend its service until 2028-29, was abandoned due to prohibitive costs and the deteriorating condition of the vessel. (Source: UKDJ)
12 Sep 23. Defence giants from the UK, Japan, and Italy have taken significant strides in their collective vision for the future of aerial warfare. BAE Systems (UK), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), and Leonardo SpA (Italy) have reached a trilateral Collaboration Agreement.
This will streamline efforts to meet the concept phase requirements of the next generation combat aircraft for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
The Collaboration Agreement is set to boost ongoing discussions, determining long-term working arrangements. It will also help refine the concept and capability prerequisites for the forthcoming combat aircraft.
BAE Systems’ Managing Director for Future Combat Air Systems, Herman Claesen, commented, “The Collaboration Agreement signals the strong alignment across all three nations to meet common goals and objectives on the programme to deliver a truly international, next generation combat aircraft.”
Similarly, Hitoshi Shiraishi, Senior Fellow of GCAP at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, relayed his enthusiasm: “We are truly honoured to be part of GCAP… We have already started cooperating closely with our UK and Italian partners and believe that our mix of cultures and diverse perspectives will contribute to the success of this programme.”
Guglielmo Maviglia, the GCAP Programme Director at Leonardo SpA, acknowledged the cooperation’s distinctive capacities. “This trilateral collaboration on the programme… represents the flagship of the distinctive capabilities and disruptive technologies that the partners of the three nations will share.”
For those keen to witness the progress of this international endeavour up close, the GCAP representatives from all three nations will be presenting at DSEI London. (Source: UKDJ)
EUROPE
12 Sep 23. Polish arms maker PGZ eyes new sales with ‘proven-in-Ukraine’ label. Poland’s PGZ has secured new customers for its flagship Piorun (Thunderbolt) man-portable air defense weapon, signing export contracts with two undisclosed countries from the Balkans and the Baltic states, company representatives said at the DSEI arms fair here.
The state-run group is now in talks to sell its weapon to new markets, executives said, touting its successful use by the Ukrainian Army as a sign of quality to would-be buyers.
Patryk Brzeziński, the head of the foreign trade office at Mesko, a PGZ subsidiary which makes the weapon, told Defense News the producer will soon roll out a new variant of the product, the Piorun New Generation (NG). It will be enabled with a longer range, additional features, and enhanced portability, he said.
“Our foreign customers tell us that their interest in this weapon largely stems from the fact that the Ukrainian military has had significant success with using it to combat Russia’s invasion,” Brzeziński said on the first day of this year’s DSEI event, which runs Sept. 12-15.
“We have supplied the Piorun to a number of countries outside Europe, too, including the United States, Japan, and Indonesia. But further export sales to European countries are our priority,” according to the company representative.
The current generation of the Piorun is enabled to hit targets at an altitude of up to 4 kilometers (2.5 miles), and has a range of up to 6.5 kilometers (4 miles), according to data from the manufacturer.
Located in Skarżysko-Kamienna, in central Poland, Mesko is the leading producer of ammunition and rockets in its domestic market. In addition to making the Piorun and Grom MANPAD systems, among others, the factory is also readying to expand its product range.
Last week, PGZ signed a memorandum of understanding with the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Lockheed Martin and RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, to jointly manufacture Javelin anti-tank weapons.
In a statement, the Polish group said the collaboration will allow the partners “to evaluate the possibility to set up a final assembly plant and produce components in Poland.” (Source: Defense News)
12 Sep 23. Airbus to combine fighter businesses in defence shake-up -sources. Airbus (AIR.PA) plans to merge two separate fighter businesses as part of a reorganisation of its Defence & Space division, union sources said.
The move brings together Military Air Systems – which includes Airbus’s share of Eurofighter – and the business overseeing its share of the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS/SCAF project to replace Eurofighters and French Rafales.
Asked about the new combination, which is part of a deeper Defence & Space restructuring codenamed ATOM, an Airbus spokesperson said: “We are currently discussing the details and ideas with our social partners”.
“The transformation might entail some organisational refinements; however the bigger focus is on governance, process and ways of working,” the spokesperson added.
Headed by Jean-Brice Dumont, Military Air Systems also includes the A400M and C295 transporters, the MRTT aerial tanker programme and unmanned vehicles including Eurodrone.
Airbus is involved in FCAS/SCAF alongside France’s Dassault Aviation with which it reached a hard-fought agreement on the development of a demonstrator last December. The Airbus part of the programme is headed by Bruno Fichefeux.
In July, Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said a reorganisation in Defence & Space was designed to make the business more agile. The company has not given any specifics on the revamp.
“This transformation is necessary for the resilience and the competitiveness in this division,” Faury told analysts.
Despite a broad increase in overall demand for weapons since the Ukraine conflict began, Airbus Defence & Space is the company’s second-biggest activity in terms of revenues but the least profitable, lagging behind jetliners and helicopters. At the half-way stage this year, it posted 87 m euros of operating profit on sales of 4.65bn euros, after swinging back to profit from a loss at the same time last year. (This story has been corrected to say ’87m,’ not ’87bn’ in paragraph 10) (Source: glstrade.com/Reuters)
08 Sep 23. Conciliation Circle Briefed on Delay of Danish F-35 Fighter Jets. The Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, has today informed the defense conciliation circle that part of the new F-35 fighter jets will be delivered to Denmark later than planned due to delays at the manufacturer. The F-35 fighter jets, which were to be delivered in the first half of 2024, are being delayed. This is due to challenges at the manufacturer Lockheed Martin with, among other things, development and testing of the software that the latest versions of the F-35 fighter jet are delivered with. The next Danish F-35 fighter jets are currently expected to be delivered in the second half of 2024 at the earliest instead of the first half of 2024. The Armed Forces’ assessment is that the Armed Forces will continue to be able to handle the training of Ukrainian pilots and the donation of aircraft to Ukraine, the rejection preparedness will not be affected and the delay will not affect our obligations towards NATO in a conflict situation either.
“I informed the conciliation circle today that the delivery of the next Danish F-35 fighter jets will be delayed. Of course, this annoys me a lot, because the Danish Armed Forces need these advanced aircraft to carry out tasks nationally and internationally. I have asked for an explanation of what the delays mean and how we are dealing with this.
“I will now, among other things, enter into dialogue with my American colleague Lloyd Austin to look at possible solutions,” says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
((Source: defense-aerospace.com EDITOR’S NOTE: The six-month delay announced above it actually greater than admitted. As recently as July 3, the Danish Defence Command stated that the first four F-35s would arrive at Skrydstrup air base on Oct. 1, and would be marked by a ceremony marking their official delivery.
Consequently, the delivery has now slipped by about a year, from October 2023 to H2 2024, leaving Denmark in the uncomfortable position of having begun to retire its F-16s, 16 of which have been pledged to Ukraine, while their replacement has been pushed back by the manufacturer’s inability to provide working software for the F-35’s Technology Refresh 3 upgrade.
This is a major embarassment for the Danish government, and the Danish Defence Command has now taken down the webpage (https://www.forsvaret.dk/FirstAircraftArrival) it had posted to inform the public of the delivery and related ceremony.)
(Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Danish Ministry of Defence)
REST OF THE WORLD
08 Sep 23. Australian Government announces latest round of industry support grants. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has announced seven Australian defence businesses have secured AU$3.8m in grants to support the development of the nation’s sovereign Defence industry.
Seven Australian businesses have been awarded grants worth a total of $3.8m under the Defence Global Competitiveness program and the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority program.
These grants provide up to half the cost of a project to help Australian businesses build capabilities crucial for Defence and to overcome barriers for Defence exports.
Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP said, “The Albanese government is strongly committed to supporting a thriving sovereign Australian Defence industry, which is the cornerstone of delivering the national Defence priorities outlined by the Defence Strategic Review.”
Grants have been awarded for the following projects:
- Advanced Navigation (NSW) is receiving $830,665 for a custom fibre optic coil winding system for strategic-grade fibre optic gyroscope inertial navigation systems. These are used for accurate positioning, autonomous capability, and high value asset tracking.
- Frontline Safety Australia (NSW) is receiving $494,343 for a lens-cutting machine to produce ballistic protective eyewear as a component of the Ballistic and Laser Ocular Protection System (BLOPS) program.
- Adelaide Profile Services (SA) is receiving $781,018 for an advanced computerised numerical control dual thermal gantry for processing large non-conventional steel plates, such as those required for naval shipbuilding.
- QuantX Labs (SA) is receiving $589,000 to establish a hybrid integration facility for compact quantum sensors which provide precise timing functions within situational awareness capabilities, such as the Joint Operational Radar Network.
- Redline Engineering (VIC) is receiving $676,793 for multi-axis machining and dimensional verification capability. This will support production of complex mechanical components such as radar, small arms and munitions.
- Muir Engineering (TAS) is receiving $300,000 in two grants. They are for the acquisition and commission of computerised numerical control machining capabilities, and a two-tonne capacity gantry crane for manufacturing of anchoring equipment for international defence shipbuilding markets.
- George Lovitt Manufacturing (VIC) is receiving $150,000 for coordinate measuring machines for quality control of larger manufactured components. This will support international defence projects such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
“These grant programs support Australian businesses to continue world-class manufacturing, serving Australia’s Defence needs, and providing the boost that’s needed to turn their cutting-edge capabilities into successful defence exports,” Minister Conroy explained.
To date, more than 200 Australian businesses have benefited from the two grant programs. Companies are invited to apply for grant support through: www.business.gov.au/grants-and-programs.
Applicants are encouraged to access the guidance to applicants before submitting: www.defence.gov.au/business-industry/finding-opportunities/office-defence-industry-support/industry-grants. (Source: Defence Connect)
08 Sep 23. Australian University challenge, funding announced to support STEM subjects. Australia and the UK will deliver SSN-AUKUS, a new conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine, based on a UK design, incorporating cutting edge Australian, UK and US technologies.
The Australian Army Research Centre has pitched a challenge to aspiring researchers and students to defeat landmine fields with drone-carried quantum magnetometers.
The Army Quantum Next Generation Minesweeper Challenge 2023 runs from 8am, 16 October to 8pm, 24 November.
Undergraduate, postgraduate students, Defence personnel or APS members and early career researchers are encouraged to get a team together before building and pitching their innovative quantum solutions.
The 2023 challenge: “Land mines over large areas are a significant military and humanitarian problem. Demonstrate how quantum magnetometers, attached to drones, can provide a solution.”
Solutions put forward by teams will have an initial Army assessment of advantages offered by quantum magnetometers attached to drones and the top six teams will have their chance to pitch their solution at Pitchfest in early December.
A winning team receives special invitation and admission to Army Quantum Technology Challenge 2024 as well as an invitation to submit a proposal to further develop and exhibit their solution at Army QTC24 up to $50,000.
The competition follows a federal government announcement earlier this month for $128.5m in funding over four years to provide an extra 4,000 Commonwealth supported university places.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the federal government is committed to investing in young Australians and skilling the future workforce.
“At the centre of the success of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines will be the people who build them,” he said.
The places are targeted at graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with particular focus on engineering, mathematics, chemistry and physics to meet the needs of the AUKUS submarine program.
Of the 4,000 additional places, 800 will go to South Australian universities as part of the cooperation agreement to support the construction of the submarines in Adelaide.
Minister for Education Jason Clare said the additional university places will give more Australians a crack at a career in STEM.
“We need more young Australians studying STEM subjects and developing the skills we need for the AUKUS program,” he said.
(Source: Defence Connect)
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Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.
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