In a significant boost to Australia’s sovereign drone manufacturing capabilities, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) has announced a total investment of $6.6 million in three Australian companies.
The investment, allocated through the Sovereign Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) Challenge, will see AMSL Aero, Boresight, and Grabba Technologies each receive $2.2 million.
The announcement follows a ‘fly-off’ demonstration held in April, where each company showcased their drone technology, the government said in a media release.
The contracts are aimed at finalising the development of prototypes to production standards and producing 100 general-purpose UAS for each company.
A sovereign drone manufacturing capability is anticipated to address both security and supply chain risks associated with commercial drones.
This advancement is expected to enable Defence and other government agencies to benefit from economies of scale, achieving higher volumes at lower costs compared to current options.
The funds will be utilised to enhance production capacity and advance the prototypes to a commercial standard by the end of the year.
The companies, based in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland, will then proceed to manufacture their initial batch of 100 UAS.
The Sovereign UAS Challenge marks ASCA’s inaugural initiative and highlights the organisation’s capacity to expedite innovation for the Australian Defence Force.
Professor Emily Hilder, Head of ASCA, emphasised the collaborative effort involved in the challenge:
“ASCA has worked closely with industry to achieve a desired capability in a short time, proving that we can build a valuable sovereign base if we work together.”
Hilder further explained the dual focus of the challenge:
“As well as the focus on capability that Defence and other government agencies have demonstrated a need for, this challenge is also focused on how ASCA can use new approaches to accelerate development activities like this and with minimum overhead for engaging SMEs directly.”
