Indo Pacific 2025 opens in Sydney: The Indo Pacific 2025 International Maritime Exposition opens today in Sydney, welcoming a record number of international naval delegations and Defence industry representatives. The conference is a collaboration between the Royal Australian Navy and AMDA and is one of the world’s largest maritime expositions, encompassing the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Power Conference. More than 900 Defence exhibitors and over 200 naval delegates from more than 50 nations are attending this year’s event. Indo Pacific 2025 brings together delegations, defence industry leaders, academics, and strategic thinkers from across the globe, reflecting the scale and significance of Navy’s shared commitment to maritime security. This year’s conference will explore the theme ‘Strength at Sea = Security and Prosperity at Home’ to encourage strategic dialogue about the role of sea power in the Indo-Pacific region now and into the future. The conference is being held at the International Convention Centre Sydney, Darling Harbour, and runs until 6 November. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said: “This year’s conference serves as a critical platform for our Navy to advance dialogue on shared maritime challenges. The theme of this year’s conference highlights the Royal Australian Navy’s enduring mission—rooted in Australia’s reliance on secure and open access to the sea. As a three-ocean island trading nation, Australia’s strategic interests span the breadth of the Indo-Pacific and our Navy is imperative to that. In today’s complex security environment, it is more critical than ever that we work collaboratively with regional partners to uphold the peace and stability that form the foundation of both Australia’s national security and economic prosperity.”
Navantia Australia and Multiverse Computing sign alliance: Navantia Australia and Multiverse Computing have announced a strategic alliance to accelerate technological innovation within the Australian defence sector. The partnership marks Multiverse Computing’s entry into the defence market in Australia, reinforcing its commitment to applying cutting-edge AI solutions to real-world challenges in national security, intelligence, and naval operations. “This partnership with Navantia Australia marks a major milestone for Multiverse Computing as we bring our CompactifAI technology into the defence sector,” said Victor Gaspar, Chief Sales Officer, Multiverse Computing. “By combining Navantia’s naval engineering excellence with our ability to deploy powerful AI models directly on the edge, we can deliver real-time intelligence and operational insights where they matter most onboard ships, submarines, and autonomous systems. Together, we are redefining what’s possible in defence innovation.” Both companies have already identified joint innovation projects and defense innovation calls to collaborate on in the near term. Central to the partnership is the integration of CompactifAI, Multiverse Computing’s novel AI compression technology, which enables AI intelligence on the edge running large language models (LLMs) and analytics directly on constrained or remote systems, such as naval ships or unmanned vehicles.
RAN head of navy capability christens Ocius Bluebottle: The Head of Navy Capability for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Rear Admiral Stephen Hughes, AM, CSC, christened the Ocius Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel BB715 at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition (Indo Pacific) in Sydney. Ocius Bluebottles provide surface intelligence, surveillance (ISR) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities to defence customers, as well as support for civilian maritime applications. At the christening, Rear Admiral Hughes noted that the ongoing collaborative relationship between RAN and Ocius is helping to rapidly develop innovative capabilities. “Today’s christening of Ocius BB715 represents another step forward in the acquisition of uncrewed systems for Navy. And it highlights how innovative partnerships like the relationship between RAN and Ocius deliver results for Navy capability,” said Rear Admiral Hughes. “Ocius and the Bluebottle USV are also a splendid example of the innovation in defence that Australian sovereign industry can achieve.” Ocius is a multi-award winning Australian owned company that designs, builds, operates and sustains world class autonomous systems. Ocius’ flagship platform, the Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel (USV) is powered by solar, wind and wave energy – allowing persistent operations in a wide range of conditions.
SYOS Aerospace setting up in Australia: Robotics company SYOS Aerospace will set up in Australia with its uncrewed vehicles technology, developed in New Zealand and United Kingdom, and proven in the Ukraine conflict. “Our goal for Australia is to take our proven uncrewed air, land, sea and underwater drone technology, as demonstrated across Europe and with operational use in Ukraine, and apply it in Australia,” said SYOS CEO Sam Vye. “We are looking to establish production in Australia to support the growing demand from the Australian market for sovereign produced uncrewed vehicles. Our most mature systems are in the maritime domain and our interceptor drones – this is where we expect the most interest.” Prioritising defence procurement and industry integration with Australia is one of the three strategic priorities in the strategy paper which positions the New Zealand and Australian defence forces as becoming ever more interoperable. The company also announced it plans to integrate Starboard Maritime Intelligence’s remote sensing capability and intelligence platform into the SYOS family of USVs, ranging from its six metre multi-role USV up to a 24-metre uncrewed offshore patrol vessel. New Zealand based SYOS and Starboard have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate SYOS’ USV ground control station software with Starboard’s intelligence platform. Both companies are internationally successful with SYOS’s United Kingdom production facility being one of the world’s largest producers of USVs and Starboard’s technology being used by leading security, defence and intelligence organisations across APAC, Europe and the USA. Starboard Maritime Intelligence offers sophisticated remote sensing technology for vessels and data fusion capabilities that are invaluable for defence, border control and surveillance for customs, fisheries and NGOs.
UNSW Canberra launches A Maritime Strategy for Australia 2035: UNSW Canberra’s Naval Studies Group has launched a new report that guides Australia’s maritime interests over the next decade and aims to fill a significant gap in the nation’s defensive strategy. Edited by Vice Admiral Peter Jones (Retd) and Jennifer Parker, the publication brings together leading scholars and practitioners to propose a coherent national maritime strategy aligned with Australia’s strategic, economic, and industrial realities out to 2035. Along the way it identifies some potential shortfalls and gaps and offers some measures to address them. “Australia’s security and prosperity depends on the sea,” Parker said. “Over the last decade, successive Commonwealth governments have affirmed the centrality of maritime defence capabilities to Australia’s national security. Many initiatives and investments have flowed. However, another key step moving forward should be an integrated maritime strategy that brings together all aspects of national power. This would be a first for Australia, and it is what we have tried to achieve with this publication.”
ASC and BAE Systems launch joint ICN Portal: Australia’s sovereign submarine partners ASC and BAE Systems announced a new-look Industry Capability Network (ICN) Portal for Australian businesses seeking to participate in the Nuclear-powered Submarine Program (NPS). The NPS ICN Portal information has been transferred from the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and is now jointly managed by the sovereign submarine partners. The portal provides a central hub for suppliers to register their interest, showcase their capabilities, and access upcoming opportunities across the program. Under ASC and BAE Systems’ joint management, the portal will deliver continuity for the hundreds of companies already registered, while opening new pathways for small and medium enterprises to qualify for work packages in one of the most complex industrial programs in Australia’s history. ASC Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Stuart Whiley said: “This portal is a gateway for Australian industry to play a direct role in our nation’s nuclear-powered submarines. By working with our partners at BAE Systems, we are ensuring suppliers have a clear, simple, and continuous pathway to engage with the program and be part of Australia’s sovereign submarine capability.”
Austal and Greenroom deliver rapid AI integration: Greenroom Robotics and Austal Australia have announced that following extensive trials and successful testing future Austal vessels have the option to include Greenroom’s GAMA and Lookout+ technology to transform them into fully autonomous vessels. Significantly, this unique collaboration aims to achieve rapid autonomy and AI integration, creating intelligent maritime systems in as little as five days, while competitor solutions on the market take weeks or months. This is a major milestone in their Strategic Partnership Agreement (signed in September 2024), which brings together Australia’s strategic shipbuilder and leading maritime autonomy company, to redefine the future of shipbuilding. Austal has been working with Greenroom Robotics since 2023, with Austal providing a mentoring role as Greenroom scales up and grows globally. Both companies are headquartered in Western Australia. Greenroom has 32 employees, Austal has 4,479. Greenroom Robotics’ GAMA and Lookout+ technologies turn any boat into an autonomous surface vessel using vision-based AI through the boat’s existing cameras and CCTV systems. These technologies will work seamlessly with Austal’s proven platform management system, MARINELINK Prime, to offer reliable and safe navigation of vessels, including collision avoidance. Austal CEO, Patrick Gregg, said: “By bringing together Austal’s shipbuilding excellence and Greenroom’s advanced AI and autonomy software, we’re creating the best of both worlds for the future of Australian shipbuilding. It’s an example of how established industry and emerging innovation can work hand-in-hand to deliver real capability, quickly.”
Bellinger Systems supports AUKUS Pillar 2: Bellinger Systems is leading Australia’s defence industry and redefining integration as it embarks on critical support to AUKUS Pillar 2, with CEO Amanda Holt saying the company is placed to deliver foundational support to the contested and congested battlespaces which Pillar 2 seeks to address. Speaking this week at the IndoPacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney, Ms Holt said sovereign Bellinger leverages existing expertise and success on naval surface-combatant platforms to provide communications integration and support for both submarines and surface vessels. “Bellinger delivers critical design, integration, manufacturing, and through-life support capabilities across all Australian Defence Force (ADF) domains, with a particular focus on naval communications, Tactical Data Links (TDLs), RF engineering and electronics,” Holt said, “Our work in installation, set-to-work, and interoperability ensures complex naval platforms can operate seamlessly within joint and allied environments, which is a core goal of the AUKUS undersea program. These same capabilities directly support the development of shared underwater situational awareness, distributed sensing, and secure data-sharing,” Holt added.
SYPAQ Systems collaborating with Teledyne FLIR: Teledyne FLIR OEM, a Teledyne Technologies company, announced its latest Thermal by FLIR collaboration with SYPAQ Systems. The new CorvoX small unmanned aerial system (SUAS), featuring the NDAA-compliant and ITAR-free Boson thermal infrared (IR) camera, is under contract to be delivered to the Australian Army in December 2025 under the Australian Defence Force DEF129 SUAS program for dismounted soldier operations. “The Thermal by FLIR program represents a natural evolution of our commitment to delivering world-class sovereign defense capabilities globally,” said Amanda Holt, CEO and Managing Director of SYPAQ Systems. “The Boson integration into our CorvoX platform exemplifies how strategic collaborations between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) nations can accelerate the development and delivery of advanced technologies into the hands of the warfighters.” Developed specifically for dismounted soldier operations, CorvoX is configured with the Corvo Guarda 70-DN EO/IR payload, featuring a 640 x 512 resolution Boson, delivering world-leading thermal imaging performance, seeing through darkness, smoke, and most fog. The Boson is paired with an electro-optical (EO) sensor and resides within a two-axis mechanical system with advanced stabilisation algorithms for geo-lock, object detection, and moving target tracking, essential for modern reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The CorvoX features an innovative thrust-vectored vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) configuration that delivers class-leading endurance in extreme weather and up to 35 miles per hour (mph) (55 kilometres per hour (km/h)) of wind. Capable of speeds up to 62 mph (100 km/h), the lightweight, man-portable system weighs less than 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms), has a 32.3-inch (82-centimeter) wingspan, and can fly for up to 50 minutes. Designed for hand-thrown or ground VTOL take-off, the CorvoX reduces the physical and cognitive load on operators. The system includes a novel memory structure that prevents sensitive intelligence from leaking during the mission, and the onboard artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities are updated constantly.
H&B Defence signs MOU with Victorian government: H&B Defence has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Victorian Government to build a skilled workforce and strengthen Victoria’s defence supply chain and industrial capabilities. The agreement, announced at Indo Pacific International Martime Exposition, aims to build workforce resilience, expand global market access for Victorian businesses, and accelerate supply chain development. It outlines a commitment to collaborate on a series of joint initiatives aligned with the AUKUS security partnership and Australia’s wider national security objectives, including: Delivering targeted supply chain uplift programs to help Victorian businesses meet US and UK shipbuilding requirements; Collaborating with education and training providers to pilot new approaches to defence-focused skills development; Expanding Victoria’s STEM talent pipeline to meet the workforce needs of current and future defence projects; Attracting new defence-related investment to grow Victoria’s industrial base and global competitiveness. In partnership with the Victorian Government, H&B Defence will draw on the international expertise of its parent companies, HII and Babcock, in the US and UK to support Victorian small and medium-sized enterprises access global defence supply chains and meet international standards.
Navantia Australia and DNV announce strategic collaboration: Navantia Australia announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) with DNV to collaborate on the development and advancement of Navantia Australia’s Uncrewed Landing Craft (ULC) concept. This LoI affirms both parties’ commitment to strategic alignment and joint innovation in naval systems and platforms, with a focus on supporting the future needs of the Australian Defence Force. Key Areas of Collaboration: Technical Cooperation & Advisory Support: The parties will explore avenues for technical cooperation, including advisory support and consideration of an Approval in Principle using DNV’s Class Guidance DNV-CG-0264 for autonomous and remotely operated vessels, as well as Rules covering the DNV class notation AROS (autonomous and remotely operated ships); Joint Promotional Activities: Navantia Australia and DNV will participate in joint promotional activities to showcase the ULC concept and its innovative capabilities; Ongoing Planning Discussions: Both parties will continue to engage in planning discussions to shape the future direction of the ULC, leveraging Navantia Australia’s deep expertise in naval vessel and systems design, independent analysis capability, and growing sovereign engineering talent.
Australian steel supply to protect sovereignty of Hunter Class frigate program: Australia’s biggest steelworks will produce and deliver thousands of tonnes of steel plate into each Hunter class anti-submarine warfare frigate under a new Framework Agreement that locks in local steel supply over the next five years and underscores the decades-long sovereignty of the nation’s naval shipbuilding and steel industries. Steel produced at BlueScope Group’s Port Kembla Steelworks in New South Wales is a critical part of the construction of the first of three Hunter class frigates at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. The Framework Agreement provides long term stability and continuity for Australian steel plate to be supplied into the ship build, which now has more than 41 of the 78 units for Ship 01 currently in production at Osborne. Seventy-seven per cent of the total amount of steel required to manufacture the first Hunter class frigate will be procured from BlueScope Distribution. Approximately 5,000 tonnes of high-quality Australian made steel will be secured and delivered for each ship—vital to the construction of the world’s most capable anti-submarine warfare frigates. Specialised steel has been engineered to meet the specific requirements for the Hunter class frigates, and this custom material delivers high strength and exceptional toughness, ensuring outstanding performance in the most demanding marine environments. This agreement with BlueScope Distribution marks a significant milestone for both organisations and reflects a mutual focus on building sovereign capability and delivering high-quality outcomes for defence projects. The Framework Agreement is underpinned by the critical importance of a domestically integrated supply chain that is resilient to external influence or disruption. This will help protect the sovereignty of a world-class, continuous naval shipbuilding capability at Osborne. BlueScope Distribution will be able to provide warehousing and logistics services that meet the ‘steel in, ships out’ delivery that facilitates the optimal build sequencing for the Hunter class frigates. BlueScope Distribution’s integrated service offering extends well beyond steel supply. The Framework Agreement will also enable BAE Systems to secure single source supply across its Australian business, as part of a package that includes technical product support, certification, material traceability and project management services. These capabilities enable delivery solutions that are critical to the successful execution of complex defence projects.
Sitep Australia joins Rohde & Schwarz team for Hunter class frigate communications: World-leading antenna technology from Sitep will be equipped as part of the Hunter class frigate UHF-MILSATCOM system following a contract with Rohde & Schwarz to supply their NAVICS communications technology for the first three ships of the Hunter Class Frigate Program. Managing Director of Rohde & Schwarz Australia Gareth Evans said, “Sitep Australia has been operating in Australia since 1999, establishing sovereign communication and navigation systems and service delivery capabilities here. “With their proven track record, we’re pleased to have them onboard and are confident they will deliver a high-quality solution that integrates with the ship and the NAVICS Multi-Level Security communications system to meet the Navy’s requirements.” Raffaele Iannizzotto, Business Development Director of Sitep Australia, said: “This contract clearly validates the highly collaborative working relationship established with Rohde & Schwarz. Sitep Australia’s antenna technology for the UHF-MILSATCOM antenna systems have been installed and are operational on Anzac class frigates, Hobart class destroyers, and AOR vessels of the Royal Australian Navy. This demonstrates our commitment to building a resilient local capacity to innovate, create, and supply communication systems. We are a trusted partner to both the Commonwealth and Rohde & Schwarz, supporting the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priority of Continuous Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment.”
Australian battery system technology to be assessed for SSN-AUKUS design: Australian submarine battery systems company PMB Defence Engineering has entered a contract with BAE Systems in the UK to enable the potential integration of its nickel zinc battery technology into the design of UK and Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines, known as SSN-AUKUS. This contract builds on PMB’s work in recent years with the UK Ministry of Defence to test and qualify the nickel zinc technology for its nuclear submarines. The contract will enable BAE Systems to have visibility of the data needed to support the integration of the nickel zinc battery system into UK submarine designs. Nuclear-powered submarines generate the electricity needed to operate onboard systems using energy from their reactors. This power is also used to charge large batteries to support the operation of equipment and to serve as an independent backup energy source. Nickel zinc battery systems can offer approximately double the energy capacity of traditional lead acid batteries. In partnership with BAE Systems, the UK Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is working in collaboration with PMB on the development of a Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) solution to replace the lead-acid (PbAcid) submarine main battery (SMB). Over the past six years, SDA has maintained a series of contracts with PMB to advance this innovative technology. The primary target platform for the NiZn technology remains the Astute Class submarines. However, as this technology has been identified as the preferred option for the SSN-AUKUS program, the scope of development has been expanded to include support for this application. PMB continues to serve as the supplier of PbAcid batteries to the Royal Navy, under a separate contract with the SDA.
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