The Albanese Government has awarded $16.9 million in contracts to eleven vendors to rapidly deploy counter-drone technologies for the Australian Defence Force, just four months after announcing the initiative.
The initial wave of contracts under Project LAND 156 includes five Australian companies among the recipients, with the program set to deliver more than 120 advanced threat detection systems and drone-defeating technologies following testing phases.
The rapid contract rollout demonstrates the government’s commitment to protecting Australian military personnel and assets from emerging aerial threats, with the ADF set to receive some of the world’s most capable counter-drone technologies through this accelerated acquisition process.
Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy said, “We have accelerated the acquisition of an appropriate mix of drone capabilities to suit Australia’s environment of military interest and are continuing to examine new autonomous capabilities,”
“The delivery of cutting-edge drones and counter-drone technology shows the increasing speed at which Defence and industry are able to deliver new capabilities to the ADF,”
“Australian industry is critical to delivering this technology, and they are demonstrating world leading innovation while creating Australian jobs.” said Conroy
Additional contract announcements are expected in coming months, including command-and-control systems and advanced sensor arrays designed to give commanders multiple options for defending critical defence installations.
Project operations follow a continuous upgrade model to address evolving drone threats, supported by $58 million in government investment over three years for research, development and prototype testing.
Industry partnerships with companies including Droneshield, Sypaq Systems, AMSL Aero, Grabba Technologies and Boresight are expected to strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence manufacturing capability.
The new defensive systems will complement existing ADF drone assets including Black Hornet, PUMA, Wasp, Skylark and R70 Skyranger platforms, alongside recently introduced Switchblade 300, Insitu Pacific Integrator and Quantum Systems Vector 2-in-1 systems.
DroneShield was awarded approximately AUD $5 million to supply handheld counter-drone systems to the Australian Defence Force under Project LAND 156.
According to details released by the Department of Defence, DroneShield’s contract will see the company deliver portable drone detection and defeat equipment to provide support to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel in the identification and neutralisation of unmanned aerial system threats.
Oleg Vornik, Chief Executive of DroneShield, said, “We welcome the opportunity to support the Australian Defence Force through Project LAND 156.
“This contract reflects the growing operational need for portable counter-drone capabilities and DroneShield’s continued role in delivering solutions aligned with Defence requirements.” he said.
At Land Forces 2024, Anduril Australia showed its Roadrunner anti-drone drone, which it believed would provide air defence much more cheaply than traditional missiles, for the first time in Australia.
Roadrunner autonomous Uncrewed Air System (UAS) had been launched by the firm’s California-based high-technology parent in December 2023 and was already in service with US Special Operations Command.
The ADF currently operates extensive uncrewed aerial systems, including armed variants. Multiple drone technologies are undergoing evaluation during Exercise Talisman Sabre to accelerate assessment and deployment timelines for new operational capabilities.
