i would'nt bet on it but?, page-5

And another three lately, I've strung together in this post
some repetition but worth reading though. :-
THE HON. GREG COMBET AM MP
Minister for Defence Materiel and Science

Priority Industry Capability Innovation Program
Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, today announced the establishment of the Priority Industry Capability Innovation Program.
The new $45 million Priority Industry Capability (PIC) Innovation Program will provide more direct and practical programs to Australian defence industry, particularly SMEs, for PIC related activities, Mr Combet said.
This is a fantastic program that will build strong Australian industry capabilities in our most important strategic areas.
This new program will also benefit the Australian Defence Force which relies on a strong and innovative defence industry sector.
Under the PIC Innovation Program, companies will be encouraged to submit to Defence innovative proposals, relating to one or more PICs, to Defence for direct funding.
To attract funding, proposals must clearly support one or more PICs and must have good prospects for driving additional work in Australian industry or provide cost savings for future Defence contracts.
Funding provided under the PIC Innovation Program will be in the form of a contractual arrangement with the company, and will be limited to $3 million to $4 million in any one instance.
Defence will develop a set of guidelines for the operation of this program in time for the first annual funding round in late 2010.
The new Defence Industry Innovation Board will oversee the PIC Innovation Program and advise Defence and the Government on appropriate resource allocation under the program.
Further details of the Program can be found in Building Defence Capability.
Media contacts:
Rod Hilton (Greg Combet): 02 6277 7620 or 0458 276 619
Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664

THE HON. GREG COMBET AM MP
Minister for Defence Materiel and Science

Helping Australian Defence businesses win work from the world
Greg Combet, the Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, announced today significant programs worth over $100 million to help Australian Defence Businesses win work in the global defence market.
Mr Combet said that three key policies will assist local businesses to access and win work from the global defence market. They are the:
Global Supply Chains Program
Defence Export Unit
New Air Combat Capability Industry Support Program
The Global Supply Chains (GSC) Program will create opportunities for Australian industry in the global supply chains of overseas defence prime contractors and their major subcontractors, said Mr Combet.
Under the GSC program, primes develop company-specific programs to evaluate Australian suppliers for participation in their global supply chain.
Given the lucrative opportunities available in these global supply chains, encouraging exports is a crucial element of the Governments defence industry policy.
As outlined in the Industry Policy Statement, the Government has committed almost $60 million over ten years to the GSC Program.
The Government, shortly after it came to power, also launched the Defence Export Unit in order to boost defence industry exports and advance important industry capabilities required for the ADF.
The DEU has been a great success and has helped Australian companies so far win contracts in excess of $550 million. That is why in this Statement the Government is provided funding of $34 million out to 2019 for this Unit.
The Government has also established the New Air Combat Capability Industry Support Program, which will provide funding to Australian companies and research organisations to support the development of new or improved capabilities that may enhance winning work in the production, sustainment and follow-on development phases of the Joint Strike Fighter Program.
These programs are necessary given the changing structure of the defence industry.
There has been significant consolidation and globalisation of the defence industry. This consolidation has resulted in a domestic defence industry dominated by a small number of very large defence companies, mostly headquartered in Europe and North America.
Australias defence industry policy needs to evolve to take account of this contemporary industry structure.
Australian-owned defence firms are generally small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). In turn, this presents both challenges and opportunities for Australias defence industry. It is a challenge for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that need to accommodate major investment decisions made in Europe and North America. Yet it is also an opportunity for Australian SMEs to make profits through integrating into the global supply chains of international primes and their major subcontractors.
Exports can develop and enhance industry capabilities by sharing development and non-recurring engineering and overhead costs with other customers.
In addition to the benefits for exporters, finding overseas customers for Australian products and services used by the ADF helps to create economies of scale for Defence, Mr Combet said.
These programs form part of the Governments Defence Industry Policy titled Building Defence Capability: A policy for a smarter and more agile defence industry base
Full details of these programs can be found within Building Defence Capability.
Media contacts:
Rod Hilton (Greg Combet): 02 6277 7620 or 0458 276 619
Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664

THE HON. GREG COMBET AM MP
Minister for Defence Materiel and Science

Skills, innovation and productivity critical to Defence
Investment in skills, innovation and productivity is critical to the Federal Governments plan for building a more competitive defence industry in Australia, the Minister for Defence Materiel and Science Greg Combet told industry leaders in Canberra today.
Under the Federal Governments comprehensive Defence Industry Statement, Building Defence Capability: A Policy for a Smarter and More Agile Defence Industry Base, released today, the Government will, over the next five years:
* Invest $292.8 million towards innovation, boosting productivity and skills development in the Australian defence industry.
* Create more than 7,500 training opportunities under programs such the Skilling Australian Defence Industry, Defence Technical Scholarships, Master of Systems Integration, Masters of Systems Support Engineering and other programs.
* Provide up to $188.8 million in funding towards the Defence innovation.
Mr Combet said that the investment in skills, innovation and productivity underscored the Governments commitment to the future of Australias Defence industry.
The Federal Government is committed to helping to build a more competitive and more productive defence industry in Australia, Mr Combet said.
Thats why we have outlined a plan for investment in skills, innovation and productivity to help the industry develop its workforce and gain a competitive edge.
Mr Combet said that skills and innovation was a key driver of productivity and the Governments investment would better position Australias defence industry in the global market.
Australias defence industry cannot maximise its productivity and its competitiveness without increasing its capacity for invention and discovery, Mr Combet said.
The Government investment in skills, innovation and productivity will ensure the sector has the best chance of competing against others around the world.
Media contacts:
Rod Hilton (Greg Combet): 02 6277 7620 or 0458 276 619
Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664

Cheers,
mrdog.