The Australian government has announced a new wave of drone and counter-drone system acquisitions under its Land 156 program, including a Ukrainian-developed detection system currently used on the front lines.
During a press event Thursday morning in Canberra, four months after the initial launch of Land 156, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy revealed the issuance of an initial round of contracts totaling $16.9 million. The contracts were awarded to 11 vendors to rapidly deliver advanced counter-drone capabilities and technologies.
The selected vendors are:
- Axon Public Safety Australia
- CACI
- DroneShield
- EPE
- HiFraser
- Highcom Technology
- Key Options
- Pioneer Computers Dream Industrial
- Precision Technic Defence
- Southtech Systems
- Steelrock Technologies.
DroneShield received $5 million of the total funding and has provided its Drone Gun Mark IV and RF Patrol systems. The company stated it “is proud to stand as a trusted partner to both Australia and its allies.”
According to the Australian Defence Magazine, Australia is also reportedly planning to procure the ‘Sugar V’ – an ultra-lightweight, passive drone detection system currently deployed by Ukrainian forces. Weighing just 250 grams, the Sugar V was developed by a Ukrainian-led firm, Drone Spices, and manufactured by Gnidzo. It is distributed in the Asia-Pacific region by Advent Atum, which agreed last year to distribute the Sugar V in Australia. In return, Gnidzo would promote Advent’s HORAS fire control system in Ukraine.
The Sugar V, known as ‘Tsukorok,’ was first prototyped in 2022 to detect signals from Russian ORLAN drones. As its capabilities have evolved, it has seen widespread adoption among Ukrainian troops.
Land 156 is structured in three phases: a prime systems integrator, UAS and counter-UAS acquisitions, and a third phase focused on software-as-a-service. The $16.9 million in contracts announced today pertains to the second phase.
“This means that following testing, at least 120 of the world’s most capable threat detectors and drone-defeating technologies will rapidly be introduced into service by the ADF,” the government said in its statement.
The Australian government is preparing to announce additional counter-drone acquisitions in the coming months. These will include contracts aimed at delivering a command-and-control capability, as well as advanced counter-drone sensors and effectors. According to the government, this will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with more options to protect its defense bases.
“Through Project Land 156, the ADF will continually upgrade and refresh capabilities to address emerging drone threats. This process is driven by $58 million of investment by the Albanese Government over the past three years in research, development, and prototyping.”
The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator’s (ASCA) Mission Syracuse is also playing a significant role in accelerating the development of counter-drone technologies.
“These capabilities will complement current in-service drones such as the Black Hornet, PUMA, Wasp, Skylark, and R70 Skyranger, as well as those currently being introduced into service, including the Switchblade 300, Insitu Pacific Integrator, and Quantum Systems Vector 2-in-1,” the statement added.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy emphasized the urgency and strategic importance of these efforts. “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,” he said.
“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,” Minister Conroy concluded.
Post Image Credit: Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator.
