Strategic Policy & Intelligence

Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities: Implementation and Industry Plans

The 2018 Defence Industrial Capability Plan outlined the Government’s long-term vision to build and develop a robust, resilient and internationally competitive Australian Defence industrial base that is better able to help meet Defence capability requirements.

The Defence Industrial Capability Plan introduced ten initial Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities (the Priorities), and noted Defence would develop Implementation Plans for each Priority. These Implementation Plans outline critical industrial capabilities for each Priority, describe the existing Australian defence industry sector and outline the actions to be taken by Government to support the development of each Priority.

Alongside these Implementation Plans, Defence will release Industry Plans to unpack the industrial capabilities that need to be delivered or supported by Australian industry, and encourage greater investment in those capabilities.

Combat clothing and Munitions and Small Arms

On 17 December 2019, the Minister for Defence Industry released the first tranche of Implementation Plans, covering the following Priorities:

• Combat clothing survivability and signature reduction technologies; and
• Munitions and small arms research, design, development and manufacture.

The Department of Defence simultaneously released the corresponding Industry Plans for these Priorities.

Implementation and Industry Plans for the remaining Priorities will be released throughout 2020.