Canberra is boosting Australia’s drone defences by teaming up with industry and empowering Defence base to protect themselves.
And the war in Ukraine has been offering Australia defence chiefs valuable insights into the role that new technology is playing in conflicts.
A new industry panel was created to guide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and other federal agencies on how to counter small uncrewed drones.
The federal government also changed its Defence laws to now allow military personnel to disable or destroy drones deemed to be suspicious.
The first 28 companies have been named on the panel; they include weapons makers Raytheon (US-based), SAAB (Swedish-based) and Anduril Australia (US defence technology).
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says “counter-drone technology is critical to keeping Australia safe”.
“This panel will help us to stay ahead of rapidly evolving drone and counter-drone technology,” he says.
“It will build on the contracts already announced to address the increasing threat of drones in modern warfare and enhance Australia’s capacity to respond to emerging drone threats.”
Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil says that drones “are swiftly becoming a tool of choice” enemy states and groups globally.
“These regulations will better enable ADF personnel here to protect themselves, their assets and the bases in which they operate,” he says.
GROWING NEED FOR DRONE DEFENCES
The chief of the ADF, Admiral (Adm) David Johnson, also warned of the growing threat posed by drones at the Indo-Pacific Sea Power Conference held in Sydney in November.
“In 2024 there were more countries in conflict than at any point since the end of WWII,” he said.
“Rapid technological development, particularly of low-cost systems with artificial intelligence, and their increasing application in conflicts are adding further complexity.
“This increase in state-on-state conflict is a deeply concerning trend.”
Adm Johnson says the war in Ukraine is providing valuable lessons on the role of new technology on the frontline.
“The conflict demonstrated the disruptive potential of repurposed commercial technologies in warfare … these systems offered low-cost, readily available and easy to operate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, combined with precision strike capabilities.”
Adm Johnson highlighted Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web as “an extraordinary demonstration” of the impact modern drones have on war.
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