South Australian electronics manufacturer REDARC Defence & Space has expanded its sovereign testing and compliance capability through a significant upgrade to its in-house Testing & Compliance (T&C) facilities, strengthening support for Australian Defence Force programs and reinforcing Australia’s sovereign defence industrial base.
As part of a broader investment in quality, compliance and manufacturing capability, REDARC has significantly upgraded its Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) chamber at its advanced manufacturing facility in Lonsdale, South Australia, expanding its ability to conduct advanced military-grade testing and validation locally. The investment strengthens REDARC’s capacity to accelerate qualification activities, reduce development risk and deliver mission-ready technologies and hardware more efficiently to Defence and industry partners.
The upgrade includes the installation of 75 new RF absorbers across three walls and the ceiling. This enables MIL-STD-461-compliant testing and significantly expands REDARC’s ability to qualify electronic and electro-mechanical systems for operation in demanding defence environments. Specifically, the uplifted capabilities give the EMC laboratory comprehensive coverage of defence and space industry electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements, including:
- Radiated Susceptibility: Expanded ability to perform RS103 testing to 50V/m across a 2MHz to 18GHz frequency range;
- Conducted Susceptibility: Newly commissioned testing capabilities for CS101, CS115, and CS116 standards.
As Defence places greater emphasis on sovereign capability, supply chain resilience and operational readiness, REDARC’s expanded testing infrastructure reduces reliance on external providers, shortens development timelines and strengthens integration across engineering, testing and manufacturing teams. This improves responsiveness, reduces qualification risk and supports more efficient delivery of trusted capability.
The capability directly supports REDARC’s contribution to major Defence programs, including LAND 400 Phase 3, LAND 19 Phase 7B, and SEA 5000 Hunter Class Frigate Program, while also supporting a growing portfolio of defence, space and advanced technology projects.
As part of the broader investment, REDARC has also commissioned a new ESPEC AR Series Environmental Chamber in partnership with New Zealand testing specialist Halt & Hass. The addition expands environmental stress screening and thermal testing capability for batteries and electronic systems, further strengthening REDARC’s ability to validate product reliability and performance under demanding operational conditions.
“Australia’s defence capability depends on trusted sovereign industry partners with the ability to design, test, manufacture and sustain critical technologies locally,” said Scott Begbie, Executive General Manager, REDARC Defence & Space. “Investments like this strengthen Australia’s industrial resilience by increasing the amount of testing, qualification and manufacturing that can be performed domestically. By continuing to invest in advanced manufacturing and testing capability, REDARC is helping ensure Defence has access to trusted Australian suppliers capable of supporting both current acquisition programs and future force modernisation initiatives.”
“AS9100D certification validated the systems and disciplines that underpin our defence manufacturing approach, and this investment in advanced testing infrastructure builds on that foundation,” said Dr David Murfett, Defence Engineering Manager, REDARC Defence & Space. “By expanding our in-house testing capability, we can generate critical performance data earlier, accelerate qualification activities and reduce technical risk. For Defence and industry partners, that means greater confidence in product performance, compliance and qualification outcomes.”
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