The 2018 Minister’s Award for Achievement in Defence Science has been awarded to Defence Science and Technology’s Andrew Piotrowski for his development of life-saving equipment protecting against improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Minister for Defence, Christopher Pyne said Dr Piotrowski’s innovative work had saved the lives of countless Australian and Coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“For over 20 years, Dr Piotrowski (pictured centre with his award) has contributed to the design, development, manufacture and insertion of force protection systems into operational theatres when no such countermeasures existed” Mr Pyne said.
He said Dr Piotrowski had been instrumental in developing a range of counter-IED protections systems, including the award-winning Redwing devices which jam radio signals that trigger IED explosions.
More than 200,000 of the devices had been supplied to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces for protecting soldiers and vehicles.
“Dr Piotrowski’s efforts have also contributed to the security of major events, including the 2000 Olympic Games, the 2006 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and the G20 summit in 2014,” Mr Pyne said.
“The systems he has developed have earned approximately $85 million from export sales and increased revenue and employment opportunities for the Australian businesses involved in the supply chain.”
The Minister’s Award for Achievement in Defence Science is awarded annually to recognise original and outstanding contributions capable of enhancing Australia’s defence effectiveness and efficiency.
