Page 23 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2021

OCTOBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
NEWS REVIEW INDUSTRY UPDATE 23
VRA BEGINS ASSEMBLING SPIKE COMPONENTS IN AUSTRALIA
VARLEY Rafael Australia (VRA) has com- menced local production of the Spike Guided Missile Integration Kits (SIKs) – the launcher and missile control elements of the Spike Guided Missile that will be integrated into the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles.
The SIKs’ ‘strictly controlled’ production assembly activities were undertaken outside of Rafael’s Is- rael facilities for the first time.
Whilst COVID restrictions stopped VRA’s personnel from trav- elling to Israel for training, technology transfer activities were undertaken re- motely using 3D instructional software with subject matter experts supporting VRA on low-rate initial production activi- ties, leading to full approval by Rafael.
“Being an Australian Joint Venture be- tween the Varley Group and Rafael Ad- vanced Defense Systems provides VRA with direct access and licences to highly advanced guided missiles and their exten-
ABOVE: XOptus Satellite’s main gateway in Belrose, NSW.
sive associated systems’ transfer of tech- nology,” VRA’s CEO Jacob Blitman said.
“This is a small but critical step dem- onstrating real sovereign capability within the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ord- nance (GWEO) space fully aligned with Government’s GWEO Enterprise ap- proach.
“VRA is grateful for the SICP funding provided by Government that supported
ABOVE: Technology transfer activities were undertaken remotely using 3D instructional software.
upskilling and acquisition of specialised tools and equipment for this project that can now be used for future in-country pro- duction.”
VRA says it is engaged with Australian companies and government’s GWEO En- terprise approach to ‘progress the oppor- tunity’ to manufacture and sustain the Spike LR2 5th Generation Guided Weap- on in Australia.
OPTUS TO BID FOR JP 9102 WITH THALES AND RAYTHEON
OPTUS will lead a joint bid with Raythe- on Australia and Thales Australia for the JP9102 Australia Defence Communica- tion System program.
“The bid team, Team AUSSAT, has a unique proposition being the only team with an unrivalled history of owning and operating satellites in Australia, by Aus- tralians, for Australians,” Optus Chief Executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said.
“Raytheon Australia has been deliv- ering certified sovereign space solu- tions and complex system integration to the ADF for decades, partnering with them and local industry to unlock the full potential of satellite data,” Ray- theon Australia Managing Director Mi- chael Ward said.
Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins said
the team of Optus, Raytheon Australia and Thales Australia would deliver a ‘genuine sovereign Australian capability’ with the global reach to access world leading space technology from Europe and the US.
Since 2003, Optus has flown the C1 Satellite – which provides critical mission capabilities for Defence’s operations and, at the time of launch, was the world’s larg- est Defence-civilian spacecraft.
Optus currently flies seven satellites – including NBN’s 2 Skymuster Satellites, with plans to deploy software-defined sat- ellite Optus 11 in 2023 for Australia and New Zealand.
Optus Satellite’s main gateway is in Belrose (NSW) with other operations in Lockridge (WA), Hume (ACT) and Regen- cy Park (SA). ■
RAFAEL
OPTUS