In the introduction to last year’s Top 40 Defence Contractors survey, I wrote that the Top 40 contractors had reported total revenue which exceeded $7 billion for the first time in the history of the survey. For 2011, the total revenue for the Top 40 Defence Contractors has grown apace to $7.7 billion, a healthy year on year increase of 8.4 per cent.

The peaceful exterior of a sleek low-rise building in suburban Gaithersburg, Maryland, belies the high-tech cyber war being waged within between those determined to compromise the IT networks of one of the world’s biggest defence contractors, and those tasked with preventing this.

Modern defence projects are becoming increasingly complex; the challenges of planning and steering them demand a fundamentally different approach new approach and new and wider skills.

Transfield Services’ profile has grown considerably in South Australia during the last eighteen months. What may not be known is that the company is in fact in its 16th year of full time operations in South Australia.

Boeing has kept a small but important package of Super Hornet manufacturing work in Australia.

Invenio Engineering Solutions and Navy Engineering Division are helping to define the delivery of scenario-based training on-board Armidale Class Patrol Boats (ACPB) for the Royal Australian Navy, using Invenio’s REFINE concept.

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced in November that applications had opened for $9.2 million in grants to defence companies to develop innovative ideas that help build and sustain Australia’s Priority Industry Capabilities (PIC)

The Defence presence and opportunities for industry in the Northern Territory are set to grow following the recent announcement of Australia-US force posture initiatives.

Details of the Australian Industry Capability Plans (AICPs) for all future major Defence acquisition projects will be made public, according to defence materiel minister Jason Clare.

General Dynamics will acquire Florida-based vehicle armouring company Force Protection for approximately US$360 million.

The DMO advises that an Industry Briefing on the In-Service Support Contract requirements for the Landing Helicopter Dock Systems Program Office will be held during the Sea Power Conference 2012.

Two of the Northern Territory’s top defence support businesses were recognised at the 2011 Defence Support Industry Awards presented in Darwin during October 2011.

Defence will set up a team to help Australian companies access the global supply chain of US defence prime contractor Northrop Grumman.

One of the CTD projects funded under Round 13 in 2009 came to fruition on Sydney Harbour in late-September. Sydney SME Blue Glue Pty Ltd demonstrated successfully the world’s first system for monitoring and communicating in real time a diver’s vital signs.

Melbourne-based SME Sentient Vision Systems is an example of an SME that has benefited from the CTD Program and in return has successfully commercialised the capability that it demonstrated for front line use with the ADF and coalition forces.

…A surprising amount, actually. DSTO is keen to promote the CTD program’s achievements in order to develop a stronger program with greater support from ADF users, policy makers and, crucially, innovative defence firms.