One Lockheed executive argued the company has scores of workers available for the job after a different sub program was scrapped in favor of the American boats.
BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems and Thales said they would work collaboratively to design a tri-national command system as a "shared solution for Australia and the UK which builds on General Dynamics' existing AN/BYG-1 system" used by the US.
Experts warned there's no single government agency in charge of monitoring, defending and repairing the cables, and no effective deterrent strategy.
“It’s a critical time right now that Australian industry has actually got a hand up to say, 'Hey, we’re here to help,'" a Lockheed executive said.
"With the opening of this new facility, we are not only building local infrastructure and workforce — we are investing in innovation, in partnerships, and in the future defence of our nation," said CEO and Chairman Australia David Goodrich.
"So, our plan, our mission, is to make safe, clean, protected oceans, and to do that, we want to be the global industrial leader for maritime autonomy and robotics, essentially like the Microsoft of the ocean," Greenroom Robotics co-founder Harry Hubbert said.