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The company has secured a ‘first of its kind’ exemption to test its defence technology.
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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has authorised the advanced testing of DroneShield’s electronic warfare and counter-UAS offerings within Australia.
The exemption, granted under the Radiocommunications (Exemption) Determination Act 2021, includes safeguards designed to enable the ASX-listed company to test its products while maintaining restrictions around impact on the broader community.
Such permissions aim to foster local development of advanced electronic warfare technologies for use by authorised government agencies in Australia and for approved exports.
“This change in law, and the resulting permit, demonstrate the rapid responsiveness of the Australian federal government and ACMA, who have been appreciative of rapid change of the technological landscape in modern warfare and counter-terrorism,” DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornik commented.
“The government agencies understood the resulting need for legislative amendments, and were fast moving in the implementation, despite current challenging times.”
Vornik said the permit would “substantially accelerate” the development and optimisation of artificial intelligence-powered electronic warfare and counter-terrorism technologies, noting the company’s contribution via its collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
“I’m particularly excited at the direct increase this decision will mean for domestic advanced manufacturing jobs and the acceleration it means for DroneShield’s technology base as part of Australia’s sovereign defence industry capability,” he added.
The announcement comes just a day after DroneShield was recognised for its achievements at Defence Connect’s Australian Defence Industry Awards 2021.
The company was named as the winner of the Defence Innovator of the Year and Engineer of the Year awards.
DroneShield also recently announced its receipt of an order valued at approximately $600,000 from an undisclosed Five Eyes nation, which has requested a variant of the DroneSentry offering — an autonomous fixed C-UxS system that integrates DroneShield’s suite of sensors and countermeasures into a unified responsive platform.
An initial trial order has been placed to determine suitability for end user requirements in anticipation of a larger order.
[Related: DroneShield secures Five Eyes order]
Charbel Kadib
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.
