DST Partnership Week

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/11/2016

06/11/2016: The Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) is staging open days at its Melbourne laboratory for industry and academia to showcase innovative technologies being developed to give the Australian Defence Force a capability edge.

The Partnerships Week event (6 to 10 June) is part of DST’s outreach campaign for closer ties with companies, universities and public research organisations to undertake collaborative research projects for Defence capability.

Credit: Australian Ministry of Defense:6/9/16

Earlier this year we wrote about the new White Paper and the new industry policy papers.

The Australian government has recently released a new Defense White Paper along with two accompanying documents, a defense industrial policy statement as well as defense integrated investment program.

Together, these documents express the concern with the dynamics of change in the region and beyond, and Australia’s’ approach to shaping an agile, effective and integrated force to deal with these challenges and to enhance force interoperability with the U.S. and other allies in the region…..

How to work with industry differently is seen as a key foundation block for getting to a more agile and integrated force. This is the focus of the Defence Industry Policy Statement.

This Defence Industry Policy Statement sets out the specific measures the Government will take to implement the Defence industry policy, including:
Streamlining the numerous Defence industry and innovation programs under two broad initiatives funded at around $1.6 billion1 over the decade to FY 2025–26:
Establishing a new Centre for Defence Industry Capability, led by an advisory board comprised of private sector and Defence representatives to drive the strategic partnership with Defence, involve industry in governance of the industry programs and provide a range of business and skilling services.

The Centre for Defence Industry Capability, and the associated collaborative activities with Defence, will be funded at around $230 million over the decade to FY 2025–26;

And fostering a new approach to innovation through closer collaboration between Defence, industry and research organisations to jointly develop game-changing innovation and commercialisation opportunities (pages 11-12 Defence Industry Policy Statement).

http://sldinfo.wpstage.net/australia-re-sets-its-defense-policy-the-defence-white-paper-2016-looks-beyond-the-platform-shopping-list/

Exercise Sea Explorer: HMAS Adelaide Gets Ready for Operations

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

06/11/2016: HMAS Adelaide participated in Exercise Sea Explorer 2016 (EX SE16) from 25 May – 05 June off the coast of North Queensland as part of the certification process to determine its readiness to conduct amphibious operations.

The second Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) to be commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), HMAS Adelaide deployed for the first time with a combined force to continue its integration into the Amphibious Ready Element (ARE).

Partnered with the Townsville-based 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) elements, EX SE16 saw HMAS Adelaide provide the crucial platform to allow the conduct of amphibious landings via helicopters and LHD Landing Craft as part of the training exercise to test operational capability.

EX SE16 also afforded the RAN Test and Evaluation Authority an opportunity to evaluate HMAS Adelaide against the required operational capability as well as the conduct of vehicle trials with the LHD Landing Craft.

The Sea Series of Exercises, culminating with Exercise Sea Raider later in 2016, will test and evaluate HMAS Adelaide’s and HMAS Canberra’s preparedness as the core capability within Australia’s Amphibious Force.

Credit: Australian Ministry of Defense:6/7/16

Aussies Working with Malaysians

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/10/2016

06/10/2016: Australian Army soldiers, predominantly from Brisbane’s 7th Brigade, are participating in Exercise Haringaroo near Kota Bharu, Malaysia, from 23—27 May 2016.

The annual exercise is an infantry-based activity seeing Australians and Malaysians working side-by-side with the aim to develop their tactical training and reinforcing professional relationships.

The Australian soldiers have deployed for around three months to Malaysia with Rifle Company Butterworth Rotation 114. Rifle Company Butterworth has been a long-standing engagement with Malaysia since the 1970s.

It began as an operational deployment during the Malayan Emergency and nowadays is primarily for training and international engagement.

The deployment enables Australian soldiers to train in different environments such as jungle training.

Credit:Australian Ministry of Defense:5/25/16

Wrap Up of Exercise Jackaroo 2016

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/09/2016

06/09/2016: Exercise Southern Jackaroo / Diamond Sprint 16 wrapped up with a 12 hour live fire defensive battle against a fictional enemy at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in May. Many of Brisbane 7th Brigade’s assets and weapons systems were used including mortars, javelins, 84mm M3 Carl Gustavs, small arms, machine guns and Australian Light Armored Vehicles.

Australian, United States Army, U.S Marines and Japanese Ground Self Defence Force personnel fought together against the enemy from an integrated defensive position created early in the exercise.

Exercise Southern Jackaroo is a tri-lateral training activity involving around 365 international participants.

This year it was combined with 7th Brigade’s annual combined arms training activity, Exercise Diamond Sprint.

Credit: Australian Ministry of Defense: 5/30/16

 

RPA Eye in the Sky Watches Da’esh Fighters

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/07/2016

06/07/2016: A Coalition unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) observes two Da’esh fighters emplacing an improvised explosive device (IED) near the town of Doudyan, Syria, this information was used to report threat locations back to friendly forces.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the Daesh terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community.

The destruction of Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group’s ability to project terror and conduct operations.

Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve:5/24/16

B-52s in Baltops 2016

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/06/2016

06/06/2016: Three B-52s from Minot Air Force Base land at RAF Fairford to take part in BALTOPS 2016.

2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs:6/2/16

Fifteen NATO and two partner nations will participate in the 44th iteration of the multinational maritime exercise BALTOPS 2016 in the Baltic region.  Events are scheduled to take place in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and throughout the Baltic Sea, June 3-19, 2016.

Approximately 6,100 maritime, ground, and air force troops from participating nations will demonstrate maritime interdiction, anti-subsurface warfare, amphibious operations, and air defense in a joint environment to ensure regional security.

Designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability, as well as demonstrate resolve among NATO and partner forces to defend the Baltic region, BALTOPS 2016 will involve maritime, ground, and air forces to strengthen combined response capabilities necessary to ensure regional stability as well as promote friendship and mutual understanding.

http://www.c6f.navy.mil/forces-efforts/baltops-2016

Australia’s P-8A Maiden Flight

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/05/2016

06/05/2016: Australia’s first P-8A Poseidon aircraft has completed its maiden flight.

The aircraft flew a short distance from Renton Airfield to Boeing Field in Washington State USA, to where the P-8A’s sophisticated mission systems will be installed as part of project AIR 7000.

The $5.4 billion P-8A program will provide Australia’s future manned maritime patrol and response aircraft capability, replacing in part the AP-3C Orion aircraft.

The P-8A Poseidon is 39.5 metres long, has a maximum takeoff weight of 85,820kg and a wingspan of 37.6m. Powered by two jet engines, it has a top speed is 907km/h with a maximum range of 7,500km.

With a saving of US$260m compared to the initial budget, the P-8A Poseidon aircraft were acquired through a cooperative program with the United States Navy and contracted to Boeing Defence Space and Security.

A Royal Australian Air Force crew will fly the aircraft to Australia in late 2016 following post-production checks and acceptance.

Credit: Australian Ministry of Defense:5/24/16