Chief of Army Expands on Force Evolution
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ARMY IN MOTION Chief of Army expands on force evolution + Defence Industry Rheinmetall’s plans Enhancing the Minister lauds for Aussie defence multidomain industry capability industry development capabilities of Army Welcome EDITOR’S LETTER Army has always been the nation’s first responder. Recognising this, government has moved to modernise the force and keep it at the cutting-edge of capability Shifting gears, Rheinmetall Defence Australia provides a detailed look into their extensive research and development programs across unmanned systems, and collaborative efforts to Steve Kuper develop critical local defence industry capability. Analyst and editor Local success story EPE Protection discusses Defence Connect its own R&D and local industry and workforce development efforts, building on its veteran- focused experience in the land domain. WHILE BOTH Navy and Air Force are Luminact discusses the importance of well progressed on their modernisation information supremacy and its role in and recapitalisation programs, driven by supporting interoperability. The company also platforms like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters discusses how despite platform commonality, and Hobart Class destroyers, Army is at the interoperability can’t be guaranteed and needs beginning of this process. Following on from to be accounted for. the success of the Defence Connect Maritime HENSOLDT Australia chats about its growing & Undersea Warfare Special Edition, this footprint across the ADF, with expertise second edition focused on the Land Domain learned during the company’s relationship with will deep-dive into the programs, platforms, Navy and Air Force to build a diverse offering, capabilities and doctrines emerging that will enhancing Army’s survivability and lethality. shape Army over the coming decades. Relative newcomer Broadspectrum speaks about To begin with, Minister for Defence Industry its transition to becoming a Ventia company, Melissa Price will detail the growing building on the broader network’s relationships role and capability of Australia’s defence to provide unique offerings to Army and the ADF. industry in supporting the delivery of the multibillion-dollar modernisation and Finally, Victorian-based Aquaterro discusses recapitalisation efforts. and deep-dives into the Army’s infantryman modernisation and lethality programs, and its Building on this, Chief of Army, Lieutenant mounting success in supporting the lethality General Rick Burr, AO, DSC, MVO, provides and survivability of the future Australian Digger. a foreword highlighting the Army’s modernisation efforts and constant pursuit of As always, feedback is both appreciated and evolutionary warfare. encouraged, so please get in touch with us should you have any ideas to put forward. Soucy will explain in detail the benefits Thanks again for your continued support as emerging from developments into composite we all work together to make Australia a safer, track systems over traditional steel track more prosperous and secure nation. systems and how the capability has evolved to be at the core of cutting-edge, mobile warfare for LAND 400 Phase 3. Chief of Army returns for a detailed Q&A Cover image: Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 taking a look at the ‘Army in Motion’ and ‘Accelerated Warfare’ doctrines serving as the Photographer: Sgt. 1st Class Whitney C. Houston driving force behind Army’s modernisation. Source: Department of Defence www.defenceconnect.com.au - 01 - Land Special Edition From the Minister The Hon Melissa Price MP, Minister for Defence Industry LAND DOMAIN WELL BEYOND BUSINESS AS USUAL Defence and our industry partners are working closely together during the global COVID-19 pandemic to continue to deliver world-class capability in a manner above and beyond business as usual, explains the Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price he Morrison government’s Since March, Defence has paid more than unprecedented $270 billion 190,000 invoices, totalling $15 billion, with T investment in the defence of $11 billion of them paid early. Australia continues to focus attention on This is a terrific indicator that work is Australia’s Defence needs – both now continuing and jobs are being supported and well into the decades ahead. by much needed cash flow getting But at the same time, the COVID-19 through our prime contractors to the pandemic highlights the crucial role of many Australian small businesses that our domestic industry and the crucial are critical to Defence. In addition to the support it already provides to the ADF. Defence COVID-19 Task Force, defence industry has been further supported It has never been more apparent that with the creation of a dedicated Industry Australia needs to be a nation that builds Support Cell, part of Defence’s COVID-19 high-quality, value-for-money capability Task Force, to help keep business moving. with secure, sovereign supply chains. And Defence is playing a vital role in Land Systems Division was called upon to keeping Australians in jobs by continuing provide much needed technical expertise to support Australia’s defence industry. and equipment to help Victorian company Land Special Edition - 02 - www.defenceconnect.com.au Follow Melissa Price MP twitter.com/Melissa4Durack Med-Con ramp up production of vitally- Prime vendor for the LAND 400 Phase 2 needed surgical masks. program, Rheinmetall Defence Australia, has already brought on board many Then Australia’s only manufacturer of Australian small businesses to support surgical masks, the Shepparton-based this project, creating hundreds of company reached out for support to restore Australian jobs and providing them with and run its mask-making machines. opportunities to showcase their talents Defence answered the call, enabling and develop export opportunities as part Med-Con to successfully increase their of their global supply chain. production capacity from 2 million to It’s both a turning point and a model for 200 million masks per year. The effort the kind of defence force our government is to rebuild the machines and enable the building – because our men and women in manufacture of additional equipment was uniform are only as strong as the industry a mammoth task, undertaken with high and the workers that stand behind them. skill and quiet dedication. It’s the same kind of thinking that has Simultaneously, the Land Systems flowed through into LAND 400 Phase 3 to Division’s Health Systems Program Office deliver up to 450 modern infantry fighting was securing tens of millions of dollars’ vehicles to protect Australian soldiers in worth of gowns, goggles and masks. combat, and bring them home safely to This significant procurement was made their families. possible largely through their prime To support and encourage local industry vendor arrangement with Central in this project, an Australian Industry Healthcare Services, one of the many Capability Roadshow was held between successful reforms put in place and March and May 2020 to give Australian available when we needed it most. businesses the chance to showcase their However, even before the pandemic, high quality products – everything from Defence had been focusing on securing steel to electronics, seating, and a range of and improving its domestic supply chains, other components and consumables. with dedicated programs to support our While the planned physical roadshows defence industry and Australian jobs – in could not be conducted, the Armoured all domains, including Land. Vehicle Division made sure this Let’s look at the LAND 400 program – opportunity wouldn’t be lost and quickly the most significant materiel acquisition transformed the roadshow to a series in the history of the Australian Army of online sessions that pitched their – which will provide a new generation expertise and capability directly to the two of armoured vehicles with new levels of project contenders, Rheinmetall Defence protection, mobility and firepower. Australia and Hanwha Defense Australia. The Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles project In other home-grown success stories, is a game-changer – with the majority of in July we announced the purchase of a its 211 vehicles being delivered from the further 8,500 rifles from Thales Australia state-of-the-art Military Vehicle Centre – in addition to the 30,000 already of Excellence near Ipswich in Queensland, being delivered. Every rifle is made with with an Australian industry capability (AIC) Australian know-how at the Thales factory level of more than 50 per cent. in Lithgow, near Sydney, enabling our www.defenceconnect.com.au - 03 - Land Special Edition From the Minister soldiers to engage targets more accurately at much greater ranges than ever before. The wholly Australian-designed Hawkei Australian Army soldier Corporal Sander Vloothuis, operates protected mobility vehicle represents a surgical face mask machine at Med-Con Pty Ltd. Photographer: new capability for the Australian Defence CPL Sagi Biderman, Department of Defence Force and I’m proud that it is being manufactured in Bendigo, Victoria, at the same factory where the world-class Bushmaster vehicle is manufactured. The start of full-rate production in September means more opportunities for our local businesses to be involved in manufacturing and longer-term support of these vehicles in Australia. Army’s new Australian-designed Hawkei protected vehicle It will create significant long-term is ready to enter full-rate production at the Thales Protected opportunities for Australian industry, as Vehicles facility in Bendigo, Victoria.