Defence contract keeps Waurn Ponds company on target

NEARLY two dozen Australian small businesses, including 14 from the Geelong region, are part of a Deakin-led project to deliver robotics-driven target systems to the Australian Defence Force.

The contract, valued at more than $1 million, will see the Australian Defence Force receive six more RAIDER Mobile Moving Target Systems.

The system, which is built by RAIDER Targetry at the ManuFutures facility at the university’s Waurn Ponds campus, is a semi-autonomous towed target that can mimic tanks and light armoured vehicles (including their thermal signature) and is used by the ADF for live-fire training.

Mick Fielding, executive director of RAIDER Targetry, said the concept was developed “from quite literally, a scribble on a napkin” a couple of years ago.

“It’s a tremendous pat on the back for the capability here at Deakin, the whole RAIDER team, and in general, what we can do in-country.

“We’ve spent a lot of time and engineering to make this as simple and as user-friendly as possible.”

Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson said the Morrison Government’s $200 billion investment in defence industry was creating similar opportunities for companies across Victoria.

RAIDER was developed at the university’s Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI), and Deakin deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Julie Owens said IISRI’s innovative thinking and breadth of specialist skills was supported by world class facilities and a strong emphasis on industry focused research.