A4ESSOR and OCCAR sign new procurement contract: A4ESSOR S.A.S (Alliance for ESSOR – European Secure Software Defined Radio), a multinational joint venture that develops secure software defined radio (SDR) technology, has signed a procurement contract with the intergovernmental Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) to carry out the capability deployment of the ESSOR High Data Rate Waveform – EHDRWF. The waveform can be ported to national software-defined radios; through this unique approach, any nation can use its own radio and be interoperable with other nations in their tactical communications. The contract for the so called ESSOR Development Stage #4 (ES4) is valued in excess of 47 million EUR. The six nations involved and their respective industry leaders (Finland – Bittium, France – Thales, Germany – Rohde & Schwarz, Italy – Leonardo, Poland – Radmor, Spain – Indra) have then been working to add new features, such as electronic protection measures and support of modern cryptographic standards, leading to several successful interoperability demonstrations and qualification tests and to the adoption of ESSOR High Data Rate Waveform as NATO STANAG 5651 in 2023. Under the new contract, a4ESSOR will design a common mission framework aimed at shared planning capability of network parameters of the EHDRWF. Once implemented in the command-and-control system of each nation, the mission framework will ensure high interoperability at operational level, allowing quick and accurate deployment of multinational EHDRWF networks. A4ESSOR will conduct field tests of the EHDRWF on the various radio systems to assess the maturity, performance and reliability of the waveform in various scenarios, providing valuable feedback for future waveform enhancements. The field test will also include trials in different operational environments (urban, rural and hilly terrains), line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight and mobility scenarios, as well as analysis of waveform performances under potential interference conditions. Furthermore, the contract will define an ESSOR in-service support framework and will set up an ESSOR laboratory as the reference for interoperability validation.
First mooring of the Oostende in Zeebrugge: The mooring of the M940 Oostende, the first in a series of mine countermeasure vessels for the Belgian Navy under the replacement Mine CounterMeasure programme (rMCM), took place on 3 November 2025 in Zeebrugge in the presence of Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence, General Aviator Frederik Vansina, Chief of Staff of the Belgian Armed Forces, Pierre Eric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group, and Jérôme Bendell, Director of the Exail Maritime Division. “The arrival in Zeebrugge of the Oostende, the first mine countermeasures vessel in the rMCM programme, the result of joint efforts by Naval Group and its partners Exail, Kership, Piriou, and all our Belgian partners and suppliers involved in the programme, is a major milestone for European defence cooperation. This innovative drone-based solution will help strengthen the naval power of the Belgian and Dutch navies, thanks to its resilience capabilities already demonstrated during sea trials,” said Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group. “Exail is proud to deliver, alongside Naval Group, this new drone-based mine warfare capability to Belgium and the Netherlands. The result of our investments in Belgium, where all our drones are produced, this programme embodies exemplary European cooperation between industry, navies and national authorities. With its expertise in the entire drone system — from navigation technologies to complete command and control systems — Exail is contributing, within this European cooperation, to providing Belgium and the Netherlands with cutting-edge technological capabilities that will set the standard within NATO and strengthen European sovereignty,” said Jérôme Bendell, Director of the Exail Maritime Division. Following the mooring of the Oostende, nine of the 11 remaining ships in the series are currently under construction, at various stages of completion. Five of them are already in the water. The second in the series, the Vlissingen, intended for the Royal Netherlands Navy, began sea trials in the summer of 2025. The third, the Tournai, destined for the Belgian Navy, will begin sea trials in November. The Delfzijl, the tenth in the series, began construction at the end of October. Deliveries will continue until the end of 2030.
Australian War Memorial wins Heritage Award: The Australian War Memorial’s front entrance and parade ground has received the National Award for Heritage at the 2025 National Architecture Awards, recognising excellence in the conservation and reinterpretation of this nationally significant site. Designed by Studio SC, the project reimagines the Memorial’s arrival experience for visitors while preserving the dignity and solemnity of one of Australia’s most important places of remembrance. The work integrates the Memorial’s historic sandstone fabric with new architectural features, including a restored forecourt suspended over two new public entrances and sculptural glass oculus opening a window to the sky. The result is two striking and beautiful new spaces which work to link the Memorial’s heritage with its future. The redevelopment of the parade ground and front entrance was delivered as part of the Memorial’s broader Development Project and represents one of the most significant cultural infrastructure undertakings in the nation’s capital in recent decades. Meanwhile, Minister for Veteran’s Affairs Matt Keogh announced the appointment of three members, and reappointment of two members, to the Australian War Memorial Council. Peter Tinley, Lesley Always and Wade Stothart were named to the Memorial Council. The minister also announced the reappointments of Kim Beazley and Sharon Bown.
Hyperion 3D printing cell wins award: A Hyperion-pioneered Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) model 3D printing cell conceptualised by entrepreneur Joshua Wigley, was crowned champion at the Innovation Pitchfest Awards. Wigley is the Founder and CEO of rapidly advancing Hyperion Systems, a business centred on commercialising its 3D printing platform that can build boats and industrial parts from recycled plastic. Unlike traditional desktop 3D printing (small, high-resolution, filament or resin based), Hyperion prints large-scale, industry-ready products such as boat hulls, concrete formwork and industrial components. The technology enables rapid prototyping, tooling-free production and flexible design iterations, disrupting traditional manufacturing methods. Hyperion’s proprietary hardware and software platform comes together to optimise print quality and process efficiency, a capability no other competitor in Australia can offer. Slated as a ‘sovereign, deployable and proven 3D printing network’ Hyperion’s ‘TitanCell’ printing unit – designed to fit a 20-foot shipping container – is transportable and can be immediately operated by personnel on-site or otherwise managed remotely; be it at a port, on a ship, bases, manufacturing hubs or even remote islands. Of particular interest to the defence sector is TitanCell’s potential impact on Australia’s sovereign supply chains and local manufacturing capability, evidenced by Hyperion’s recent success in printing a 3.5m boat hull, in just 24 hours.
More support for WA veterans and their families: The Western Australian government has awarded more than $1.3 million from the Anzac Day Trust to help Western Australian ex-service organisations (ESOs) deliver essential services. The funding will enable the delivery of comprehensive support to Western Australian veterans and their families – covering employment, mental health, and respite services. More than $500,000 was awarded to the RSL WA and Working Spirit partnership to continue the rollout of its Veteran Employment Program, now into its third year. The program prepares veterans for employment outside of defence through workshops and includes a tailored Transition Employment Portal. Legacy WA’s Living Independently and Respite programs were awarded $400,000 to support several initiatives, including support for the partners of fallen soldiers and to ensure the Legacy Busselton Camp remains fit-for-use by defence and veteran families. Almost $300,000 was committed to other ESOs to deliver targeted wellbeing support programs to veterans within the Perth, Peel, and Great Southern regions. The government also provided over $20,000 to fund significant WA commemoration events in 2026 to ensure the appropriate recognition of service for WA veterans.
DSTA rolls out smart utilities management for defence sites: Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has appointed SP Group (SP) to implement advanced electricity and water meters in all defence facilities across the island. Under the agreement, SP will install, operate and maintain smart electricity and water meters. “The deployment of these smart meters marks a significant stride in harnessing technology to optimise resource efficiency. It will enhance how electricity and water usage is measured and managed. This initiative reflects the defence community’s commitment to building a smarter and more sustainable environment,” said DSTA’s Chief Executive, Ng Chad-Son. The partnership will see Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters installed in various Singapore Armed Forces’ camps and facilities. Each device will transmit data to the Smart Utilities Management System (SUMS), offering transparency and accountability in resource management. The data collected can be analysed to gain insights into utilities usage, track usage patterns, send alerts when irregular patterns such as potential leaks or excessive consumption are detected. DSTA also worked with SP Group to develop analytics and tailored features, enabling more meaningful insights and data-driven decision-making across camps and facilities. These insights allow conservation measures to be targeted at high-consumption clusters to reduce environmental impact or tackle potential wastage. SUMS is part of SP’s suite of smart green building solutions that enables industrial and commercial buildings to advance their sustainability goals.
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