23 November 2022
The successful partnership between Defence and industry in the development of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) technologies has been highlighted at the sixth World of Drones and Robotics Congress in Brisbane.
The event brought together international and domestic minds from government, business and industry with a focus on connecting people to solve current and future problems with drone and robotics based solutions.
Air Force Wing Commander Keirin Joyce who presented at the Development of Defence Industry and Sovereign Supply Forum panel, said the conference was an example of effective collaboration between Defence and industry.
“Defence has invested more than $100m in UAS innovation efforts over the past five years, and has yielded excellent successes in ADF capability, technology development and global competitiveness,” Wing Commander Joyce, Program Chief Engineer of Air Force’s Future Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems Programs Office, said.
“Right now we are reaching a crucial point in the development of Defence capabilities and the strengthening of this partnership between Defence and industry is more important than ever to ensure Australia’s development of future UAS capabilities.”
Wing Commander Joyce noted the important role UASs play in protecting Australia’s national interests across all domains, and suggested this will increase into the future.
“We see UASs in Defence operations as particularly important moving forward,” Wing Commander Joyce said.
“The rapid evolution of technology in the consumer and commercial worlds is crucial to support our development of these types of capabilities.”
Wing Commander said continued productive relationships with counterparts in business and industry would serve Defence well into the future.
“Having seen so much passion and innovation coming from business and industry around the use of drone technology to solve Australia’s future problems, I’m very excited to see where the future development of drone technology can take us.”
