From Labs to Frontlines

The future of conflict will be decided less by the sheer size of a nation's military and more by the speed it can detect threats, process information, make decisions and deliver effects. This is critical for Australia, because our strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific is becoming increasingly contested.

Australia faces the challenge of defending vast maritime approaches and operating across enormous distances. Traditional advantages based on a small number of highly capable platforms remain important, but these platforms are no longer sufficient on their own. In a future conflict, these assets must operate more seamlessly as part of a highly connected network capable of sharing information in real time and responding faster than an adversary’s decision cycle.

This strategic reality is driving a focus on a strategy of denial, which envisages a Future Integrated Force acting with enhanced hard power options in integrated and networked operations, capable of holding adversaries at risk at strategically significant ranges.

Modern defence is moving toward integrating all operating domains (including cyber) with autonomous systems into a single combat ecosystem, with a goal of making adversary battlespaces “transparent”. Information becomes the decisive weapon, enabling commanders to identify opportunities, coordinate joint effects and adapt rapidly to changing circumstances.

Several technologies are key to achieving the above aims. Enhanced decision quality and speed enabled by improved sensing, machine reasoning, advanced communications, and the increasing role of autonomous systems in all domains, are all key 21st century enablers.

However, perhaps the most significant lesson on modern warfare is that technological superiority alone is insufficient. Success depends on rapidly identifying, testing and integrating new capabilities into doctrine, training, procurement and organisational culture. Defence organisations must become more agile, embracing rapid experimentation and accelerating the transition from innovation to operational capability. An active defence R&D ecosystem is essential to this agility, evolution and fast technological development.

Threat-driven defensive systems, in particular, have a critical dependence on such institutionalised innovation systems from day one of their initial operating capability. In a rapidly evolving threat landscape, threat-driven capabilities such as electronic warfare and integrated air and missile defence begin to atrophy immediately they become operational. Their ongoing operational relevance mandates pacing the threat. 

Successfully executing operational innovation, however, cannot be done without understanding the technological state-of-the art, a deep appreciation of Defence capabilities, and long experience in coordinating the development of the breadth of technologies that span the warfighting domains.

Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is the premier focal point for Australia’s Defence and National Security innovation ecosystem, providing Australia’s foundational capabilities for anticipating the future, identifying mission-driven capability gaps, and facilitating coordination of the innovation ecosystem.

Lockheed Martin Australia, under its Southern Shield research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) program, is collaborating closely with DSTG, sovereign industry partners, academia and LM’s global R&D ecosystem, to demonstrate and accelerate advanced technologies for priority capabilities such as integrated air and missile defence, long-range multi-domain precision strike, advanced space-based capabilities, and air superiority. Southern Shield is focussed on RDT&E that contributes to the integration of sovereign capabilities, regardless of the original manufacturer, with advanced systems and platforms to address the priority needs of Australia’s National Defence Strategy.