Avalon News in Brief 26 March 2025

Australia receives delivery of first HIMARS: Lockheed Martin, in cooperation with the US Army and Australian Government, has successfully delivered an initial shipment of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Australia. The Australian Government has committed to the acquisition of 42 HIMARS launchers. These launchers will give rise to the priority articulated in the 2024 National Defence Strategy to drive the transformation of the Australian Army and enhance their long-range land-based strike capabilities. In parallel, the arrival of HIMARS supports the objectives outlined in the 2024 Guided Weapons and Explosives Ordnance Plan to rapidly deliver missile manufacturing in Australia and accelerate the acquisition of long-range strike over the next decade. HIMARS is a highly mobile, combat-proven system that fires a family of precision munitions at ranges of 70 to more than 400 kilometres. Transportable by C-130 Hercules and C-17 aircraft, it is rapidly deployable and interoperable with a long-list of regional allies, including the United States. Warren McDonald, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand said, “I would like to thank the Government and Defence for putting their trust in Lockheed Martin to deliver this important capability. In response we delivered ahead of schedule and commit to supporting the soldiers who will use HIMARS to protect Australia’s interests.” SYPAQ announces leadership transition: SYPAQ Systems, the Australian technology and engineering company best known for its “cardboard drone”, announced significant changes to its leadership structure as part of its ongoing commitment to long-term growth and innovation. Founder and current Chairman, George Vicino, will step down from his role as Chair, passing on the leadership of the family‐owned business to his son, David Vicino. At the same time, Amanda Holt, SYPAQ’s current CEO, will expand her responsibilities to include the role of Managing Director, succeeding David Vicino in that capacity. Additionally, Ross Osborne, SYPAQ’s current Chief Engineer and Director, will take on the role of Technical Director, further strengthening the company’s leadership in technology and innovation. David Vicino, who has worked closely with alongside his father for 25 years, will now take on the role of Chairman. Having grown up with the company and contributed to its strategic development, David is uniquely positioned to guide SYPAQ into its next phase of growth. His extensive experience in diversifying the business and establishing trusted relationships with SYPAQ customers will play a key role in shaping its future. Bombardier Defense announces order for Australian ISR missions: Bombardier Defense announced that Principle Finance, a provider of customised operating leases for aircraft in Australia, has acquired two Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft destined for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in Australia. The delivery of both aircraft is planned for 2026. “This purchase represents a major milestone for Bombardier Defense, increasing our presence in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Our aircraft are the platform of choice not only due to their reach, persistence and performance, but also due to the large accessibility of our services and support ecosystem in the country,” says Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Aircraft Sales & Bombardier Defense. “This represents an undeniable advantage and flexibility to operators.” Bombardier’s high-performing Challenger 650 aircraft are appreciated for their outstanding short-field performance and proven reliability in the mid-sized jet category. The aircraft configured for business jet use can achieve an endurance of up to 11 hours, with a dispatch reliability of over 99.9% and an impressive range of 4,000 nm (7,408 km). Challenger 650 aircraft are also considered an ideal choice for ISR missions by flying higher, faster and farther than legacy airborne platforms ensuring the coverage of expansive territories and offering performance comparable to large maritime patrol aircraft at fractions of their purchase and operating costs. This aircraft offers the right flexibility to complete missions in challenging environments, with an optimal payload capacity for customised mission specific equipment, a strategic advantage for next-generation solution development. Milskil and Top Aces unveil exclusive teaming agreement: Australian defence company, Milskil and Top Aces signed a teaming agreement during the Avalon Australian International Airshow. By combining their service offerings, the goal of the partnership is to provide the safest and most technically advanced, sovereign-based 5th Generation training solution for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Since 2003, Milskil has delivered fully integrated high-end air combat training services to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), including simulation-based air combat training, Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) training, and maintenance instruction for the entire spectrum of the RAAF’s fast jet aircraft. “By partnering with Top Aces, customers will now benefit from an optimum blend of live, synthetic, and AI-based training for enhanced operational readiness,” stated Mr. John “Lono” Lonergan, Managing Director, Milskil. Particularly with the adoption of 5th Generation fleets, the need for realistic, challenging, and affordable training scenarios that replicate near-peer adversary capabilities has surged. “Many allied Air Forces are recognising the value of the commercial ADAIR industry for operational efficiency, fleet life economies, and the continued service of highly experienced veteran Air Force pilots,” said Mr. Paul Bouchard, Chief Executive Officer, Top Aces Inc. Top Aces is the world’s only commercial owner/operator of the F-16 Viper, the most realistic and threat representative training adversary available on the market today. Equipped with the company’s proprietary, open architecture Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), its F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighters carry networked, cutting-edge sensors including active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, helmet mounted cueing system (HMCS), scanning long-wave infrared search and track (IRST), and a multitude of other high-end capabilities – effectively replicating the threats posed by 5th Generation adversary fighter aircraft. Innovaero unveils OWL family of loitering munitions: Innovaero is pleased to announce the expansion of its leading-edge OWL family of precision loitering munitions with a new prototype and a low cost, lightweight variant revealed at Avalon 2025. The Perth-based aeronautical engineering company has upgraded its OWL B precision loitering munition with new guidance capabilities, as well as unveiling the first test demonstrator of the OWL X variant. Innovaero has also introduced the OWL A, a mid-weight variant which incorporates a 1.5kg warhead, a capability to travel 45km and a full suite of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Marcus Colman, Chief Executive Officer, Innovaero, said expanding the OWL family underscored the Company’s commitment to establishing a world class, sovereign guided weapons capability based in Western Australia. “Global conflicts continue to highlight the crucial role of autonomous systems and precision loitering munitions,” Mr Colman said. “Building on the success of the OWL B program, our decision to expand a wider family of loitering munitions offers the customer a full suite of capabilities and is a major milestone for the nation’s defence industry.” The OWL B system development aligns with the Commonwealth’s push for greater sovereign guided weapons and explosive ordnance capabilities and reduced reliance on foreign military technologies. OWL B has been the focus of an exhaustive series of live fire tests overseen by the Company, Commonwealth agencies and the Australian Army, where the system completed successful flight tests and payload integration. HDA signs deal with Penske Australia on Redback IFV: Hanwha Defence Australia and Penske Australia have signed an Acquisition Contract for the assembly, testing, and supply of 129 engines in Australia in support of the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles under LAND 400 Phase 3. The companies gathered together at the Avalon Air Show, next door to the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) where the vehicles will be built, to celebrate signing the contract. Penske Australia will conduct local assembly and acceptance testing of the Rolls-Royce Power Systems mtu MT881-Ka500 engine under a technology transfer agreement with STX Engine Co of South Korea. The 735kW (~1,000hp) eight-cylinder mtu MT881Ka-500 diesel engine has a well-proven reputation for performance and reliability, powering over 3,000 military vehicles globally, including the Huntsman vehicles being procured under the Commonwealth’s LAND 8116 Phase 1 project. Once assembled and tested, Penske Australia will deliver the engines to the H-ACE in Avalon, Victoria, where the engines will be integrated into a powerpack for installation into the Redback vehicle. AMSL Aero partners with Conflux on hydrogen: AMSL Aero has partnered with Formula 1 car engine cooling provider Conflux Technology to pioneer long-range, zero-emissions flights over up to 1,000 kilometres at Formula 1 car speeds. AMSL Aero told the Avalon Air Show in Melbourne that it will use Conflux Technology’s advanced heat transfer innovation to cool the hydrogen fuel cells that power its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Vertiia, which will cruise at speeds of 300 km/h. Vertiia is the Australian leader in the new generation of aircraft that take off and land like a helicopter but fly fast and smoothly like a fixed-wing airplane. Vertiia made Australian aviation history in late 2024 by making its first free flights. Vertiia will make its first flights on hydrogen-electric power later this year, using Conflux Technology’s cooling technology. This will mark a major step towards AMSL Aero’s goal to manufacture the world’s first long-range passenger-capable hydrogen VTOL. AMSL Aero chairman Chris Smallhorn said: “In Vertiia, we are building a hydrogen-electric aircraft that flies record-breaking distances at Formula 1 speeds, making Conflux Technology, with its storied history of innovation in motorsport and aviation, the perfect partner for us.” The first phase of the project has been completed, which focused on developing three innovative heat exchanger concepts aimed to minimise weight and volume while effectively managing the continuous heat loads experienced during flight. Following the success of this phase, the project moves into the second phase, where the team will optimise and manufacture a full proof-of-concept assembly to integrate into Vertiia’s hydrogen fuel cell system. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]