Australian navy chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said that the Bluebottle was an extremely durable asset, noting that “these things have remained on station as the cyclones have rolled through, and they've remained operational.”
"South Australia is at the centre of one of the most significant defence undertakings in our history," Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas said in a press release.
The Network Tactical Common Data Link system enables secure comms and ISR for carrier strike groups and their air and naval assets.
Indo-Pacific allies see unmanned systems, shared production, and interoperability as essential to offset China’s scale.
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.
Experts warned there's no single government agency in charge of monitoring, defending and repairing the cables, and no effective deterrent strategy.
"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.
Discover how unmanned systems and emerging technologies are shaping the future of U.S. naval power in Breaking Defense’s new eBook.
"This arrangement strengthens those commitments and allows us to more easily share information, technologies and processes for greater logistics resiliency," said US Vice Admiral Jeff Jablon.
Breaking Defense shares an up-close look at the HMS Prince of Wales carrier strike group.
"If our Collins class SSKs are non-operational in 2024, I really doubt that they will be a credible force through the remainder of this decade, let alone into the next one," Malcolm Davis, a defense expert at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said.
"Producing GMLRS missiles in Australia is the stepping stone towards local production of more advanced, longer-range strike weapons in the future – local production that is essential to our sovereignty and our security," Minister of Defense Industry Pat Conroy said.
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Honeywell’s systems are integral to Australian defense, supporting AUKUS, GWEO, and expanding local capability across air, land, and sea.
Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said Anduril's Ghost Shark is part of the Australian military's $5.2 billion to $7.2 billion investment in undersea uncrewed maritime systems.
The legislation was passed overnight as part of the House's draft defense policy bill amid marathon negotiations.