The future competitive advantage in defence will not simply come from developing technology faster. It will come from how quickly industry and Defence can adapt, produce and field capability as operational needs change.<\/p>\n
For EOS Defence Systems Australia executive vice president Lee Kormany, that distinction is increasingly important as the pace of technological and operational change challenges traditional defence development cycles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you think about defence capability, you\u2019d normally think of very long development programs. Some systems could take a decade to move from requirements through to a fielded capability,\u201d Kormany says. \u201cWe simply don\u2019t have that luxury of time anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pace of technological change is increasing, and the threats facing defence forces are evolving just as quickly. If the threat changes rapidly, our capability development processes must be able to adapt just as rapidly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Innovation, then, is not just about developing technology. It is about turning it into capability that can be produced, fielded, sustained and continuously improved.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take a systems engineering approach that allows us to move capability from concept to production in a structured and repeatable way,\u201d Kormany says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat requires greater investment in the architecture and engineering upfront, but it allows you to introduce improvements and move into production much faster later on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also continuously engage with operators and end users. We want to understand the problems they\u2019re trying to solve and ensure that future development effort remains focused on delivering meaningful capability outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adapting at the pace of the threat<\/p>\n
The ability to adapt existing capability is becoming increasingly important as operational lessons and emerging threats drive new requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe objective isn\u2019t simply to build a product. It\u2019s to build a capability that can continue to evolve as threats evolve.\u201d
\u00a0– Lee Kormany<\/p>\n
EOS has seen that evolution firsthand through its R400 remote weapon system. Originally developed in the late 1990s, the R400 was designed to enhance crew protection by allowing weapon operators to engage targets from inside the vehicle rather than exposed on top of it. At the time, its focus was predominantly ground-based threats.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe R400 that exists today is almost unrecognisable from those early systems,\u201d Kormany says.<\/p>\n
Operational experience in Afghanistan demonstrated the value of remote weapon systems against asymmetric threats. More recently, the conflict in Ukraine has reinforced the growing importance of counter-uncrewed aerial system capability.<\/p>\n
\u201cListening to customers, we recognised they needed the ability to engage targets well above the horizon and respond to a new class of threat,\u201d Kormany says.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo rather than redesigning the entire system, we looked at the minimum changes necessary to deliver a meaningful capability improvement as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those changes included increased weapon elevation and independently controlled sensor movement to support the engagement of faster-moving aerial targets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe objective isn\u2019t simply to build a product. It\u2019s to build a capability that can continue to evolve as threats evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n
From operational need to capability<\/p>\n
Adapting at speed also depends on understanding the operational problem early and bringing Defence and industry expertise together to solve it.<\/p>\n
The Australian government\u2019s Mission Syracuse initiative provides a current example. Under the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, EOS has been selected to develop a production-ready prototype integrating 70 mm laser-guided rockets and a MAG58 7.62 mm machine gun into its R400 Slinger capability.<\/p>\n
\u201cMission Syracuse is a good example of Defence and industry working together to solve an emerging operational challenge,\u201d Kormany says.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than starting from a blank sheet of paper, we\u2019re building on a proven capability and rapidly adapting it to meet a specific operational need.\u201d<\/p>\n
That need is not unique to Australia. EOS has seen growing international demand for counter-drone remote weapon systems, reflected in global orders announced over the past year.<\/p>\n
Defence brings an understanding of the operational problem, while industry brings engineering, technology development and manufacturing capability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best outcomes are achieved when Defence and industry work together from the outset,\u201d Kormany says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means sharing knowledge, understanding the problem together and continuously improving the capability throughout its life.\u201d<\/p>\n
That collaboration extends across the broader Australian defence industrial base.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise the expertise that exists across Australian industry. Our partners often provide insights that strengthen our systems and help us identify opportunities for improvement. Equally, we\u2019re happy to contribute our experience where it can help others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sovereign capability as an enabler<\/p>\n
The ability to adapt, produce and field capability at speed also depends on having the industrial capacity to do so.<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s 2026 Defence Industry Development Strategy places industry at the centre of national defence and economic security, with a focus on strengthening sovereign industrial capability and enabling faster, more agile delivery to Defence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe defence industry is much more than a supplier to Defence,\u201d Kormany says.
\u201cIt is a critical part of Australia\u2019s national security capability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sovereign capability cannot be considered separately from the people, engineering expertise, manufacturing capacity and industry partnerships required to turn technology into operational capability.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the future, success won\u2019t belong to organisations that can simply develop new technology. It will belong to those that can rapidly adapt proven capability to meet changing operational needs. \u201cThat\u2019s where industry and Defence working together can deliver real advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n