Page 66 - Australian Defence Magazine June 2022

66 FROM THE SOURCE WARREN MCDONALD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 65
company to complete the program outside of the US and we have just announced that Silentium has been selected for the program.
ADM: How does STELaRLab fit into the equation? MCDONALD: The STELaRLab in Melbourne was the first multi-disciplinary R&D facility outside the United States for Lockheed Martin. There’s constant environmental scan of universities and SMEs that we can col-
laborate with to bring capabilities into being.
Our team has deep expertise, there’s 41 staff
working at the lab, and we’re supporting three
PhD students and two Masters students.
JUNE 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
needs and where Australia’s best talent can be found. There are no immediate plans for Lockheed Martin to es- tablish another multi-disciplinary R&D facility outside the United States, however LM works with many countries world-
wide to accelerate local capabilities and STEM outreach.
ADM: How are you going to position Lockheed Martin in Australia for the future?
MCDONALD: I look at what we are currently responsible to Defence for delivering, and if successful what we might
The researchers at STELaRLab form part of the Lockheed Martin’s research and devel- opment ecosystem, sitting alongside revered names such as Skunk Works, the Advanced Technology Centre and The Lighthouse.
A PARTNER TO DEFENCE WE MATCH
So, they bring deep intellect to solve com-
plex optimisation, artificial intelligence, hy-
personics and advanced information processing and archi- tectures issues. They’re constantly scanning and looking for ways to participate with Australian industry and academia.
ADM: Are you looking to replicate STELaRLab elsewhere? MCDONALD: STELaRLab HQ is in Melbourne, and there are nodes in Adelaide and Brisbane. We’ll keep expanding the Lab’s presence based on customer
fence we match their expectations - and rightly we must. Note: A longer version of this interview is available to
premium subscribers on the ADM website. ■
BELOW: Lockheed Martin Australia personnel work on the Air 6500 program inside the company’s Endeavour Centre in Canberra
“I WANT THAT AS
TO MAKE SURE
be required to deliver in the future. For ex- ample, Seahawks, Black Hawks, military satellite communications under JP9102; Air 6500, 6502, 6503 Air Battle Management and Missile Defence systems. If you put a drawstring around these capabilities, it’s sub- stantial, and with it comes unquestionable responsibility. We must be ready to discharge our responsibility. That’s where my focus is; making sure we grow and mature at the right pace to deliver and sustain with excellence. I want to make sure that as a partner to De-
THEIR EXPECTATIONS - AND RIGHTLY WE MUST”
LOCKHEED MARTIN AUSTRALIA