The Department of Defence has published the first ever capability plan for Australia’s Defence industries, outlining a long-term vision and objectives and setting out how to bring them about.
The Defence Industrial Capability Plan acknowledges the importance of a stronger, more resilient and internationally competitive Defence industry.
Launching the plan, the Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne said it made clear that to be considered an Australian Defence company, having an Australian Business Number and a shopfront was no longer enough.
“We want to see Australian leadership, an Australian board, and an Australian workforce value-adding right here at home,” Mr Pyne said.
“This plan highlights a range of opportunities for Australia’s defence industry over the next decade and reinforces the sustained partnership we need to position our Defence industry to meet our Defence capability needs.”
He said companies now needed to meet Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities — industrial capabilities critical to achieving the Australian Defence Force’s operational mission and to the development of the future force over the next few years.
He said the priorities included maintenance and upgrading the Collins Class submarine, a continuous shipbuilding program; upgrading land combat vehicles and technologies; issue related to combat clothing survivability; signature reduction; advanced signal processing capability; surveillance and intelligence data collection, analysis and dissemination; and complex systems integration.
Mr Pyne said other priorities included munitions and small arms research, design, development and manufacture as well as aerospace platform deep maintenance.
“The priorities will be strategically managed across Defence planning and decision-making processes, Mr Pyne said.
The 160-page plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
