Land 156 Article: DroneShield mentioned

A new article written yesterday about Land 156, with a mention of DroneShield in it.

From the way it reads only a select number of companies were given the ability to have their products evaluated. DroneShield was one of them.

Signing up to the free subscription gave me access to the article.

Defence initiates testing $30m in anti-drone tech for troops

Defence has begun testing wearable technologies from almost a dozen local and overseas companies to protect Australian troops against kamikaze drone attacks while on patrol.

InnovationAus.com can reveal the department has signed the first contracts under its Counter small Uncrewed Aerial System (CsUAS) program, known as

LAND156, at a cost of nearly $30 million.

Among the companies to secure a contract is DroneShield, the rapidly growing Australian counter-drone device-maker which has supplied counter-done equipment to Ukraine

LAND156, which is taking place alongside a separated but interrelated Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator mission, is a multi-stage program designed to protect defence sites in Australia and troops deployed oversees from drone attacks.

It is expected to be worth as much as $500 million over the coming years, with several bundles to be used to find the right technologies for dismounted troops, armoured fighting vehicles and supply vehicles and fixed infrastructure.

Defence approached the market for the deployed component of LAND156 in February to find wearables capable of detecting, tracking, identifying and neutralising small adversary UAS systems.

In May, after a multi-stage procurement, the department began publishing contracts with successful companies, which have been invited to test a “rapid dismounted CsUAS capability” with the Australian Army.

Among the companies selected to have their technologies tested and evaluated is UK-based counter-drone company Steelrock Technologies, which has secured at $5.7 million contract – the largest so far.

DroneShield, which has its sights set on the key role of systems integration partner, has also picked up a contract ($5 million), as has US-based tech company CACI ($3.4 million).

Another four Australian companies – SouthTech Systems, HighCom Technology, Precision Technic Defence and Key Options have shared in just under $12 million in contracts.

All other contracts fall under $1 million, including those with Axon, which is best known for its body-worn video cameras, as well as Pioneer Computers and EPE. One contract with Australian engineering company HIFraser does not appear on AusTender.

A Defence spokesperson said further contracts are expected “in the near term”, with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) continuing to progress the ‘rolling wave’ methodology for CsUAS capability.

The rolling wave methodology was adopted to meet the “Speed to Capability and Speed to Contract objectives as articulated by the National Defence Strategy and the Defence Industrial Development Strategy”, the spokesperson added.

Last year, Defence minister Richard Marles said the concept of minimum viable capability, a new buying “philosophy”designed to deliver smaller, more nimble capabilities, would play an increasingly important role at the department.

“When you put additional bells and whistles on any given platform it comes with cost, increased design, and greater risk in terms of time blowout,” Mr Marles said outlining the philosophy in April 2024.

“And so, if you want to deliver things on time and on budget, the right philosophy is minimum viable capability. It’s really about how we think about it and in a sense the job we therefore ask our folk to do.”

On Monday, Mr Marles said he would consider further reforms to his department and the wider defence bureaucracy in the wake of major blowouts and delays on dozens of projects.

https://www.innovationaus.com/defence-initiates-testing-30m-in-anti-drone-tech-for-troops/