As Australia’s Department of Defence continues to develop plans for manned platforms, like frigates and submarines, that are going to cost billions of dollars and not produce any increments in capability until well in the future, but are they planning to spend scarce project dollars on the wrong things? Many observers, including this one, believe that manned vessels should be command centres for hosts of small uncrewed autonomous vehicles which can overwhelm any antagonist.
Uncrewed vehicles does not mean “no crew”.
Just as an aerial drone requires a groundbased pilot, flight planning and supervision, and a ground crew to marshal, arm and maintain an aircraft, uncrewed vehicles in the maritime domain will require a highly skilled support crew at sea and ashore.
The roles for navy operators will be changing and the roles for industry support must change also. A highly capable sovereign industry capability will contribute to availability of uncrewed systems though fast turnaround of planned maintenance and urgent defect repairs, constant attention and development of a local supply chain, and the capability to modify systems to meet unique Australian requirements.
AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY CAPABILITIES
When APDR asked Darren Burrowes, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Australia’s Blue Zone Group (BZG) for his views on defence industry’s role with respect to supplying and supporting uncrewed vehicles. He told us: “In the context of surface warfare uncrewed platforms are evolutionary not revolutionary.
“BZG is involved in a number of initiatives in both mine warfare and anti-submarine warfare, two key elements of uncrewed surface warfare as a whole. In both cases the company has learned that autonomous and automated platforms and systems are not a capability of and by themselves. They do not replace manned capability; they augment and amplify it.
This is an excerpt from APDR. To read the full story, click here.
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