Awards Contract To AVT Australia For Micro Gimbal System

The Morrison Government in Australia has awarded $5.2 million (Australian) to a Melbourne company to develop a system capable of improving the quality of images captured by drones.

Minister for Defense Industry, the Hon Melissa Price MP announced the Defense Innovation Hub contract with AVT Australia today at the Defense Innovation Hub Industry Conference in Canberra.

“AVT Australia is committed to developing the world’s best micro gimbal system which could provide a significant capability edge in a future battlefield environment,” Minister Price said.

Under this new contract, AVT Australia is aiming to reduce the size of the technology to enable integration of multiple sensors as well as incorporating a range of autonomous tracking algorithms.

Minister Price also announced a $3.4 million contract with another Melbourne company, Textron Systems, to continue the development of their drone technology.

It follows a successful phase one contract with the Defense Innovation Hub, and demonstrates the Morrison Government’s commitment to exploring how unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can benefit the Australian Defense Force.  “Defense is Australia’s largest and most experienced UAS operator, and it’s important to remain at the cutting edge of a capability that offers superior surveillance, intelligence and force protection.”

The Morrison Government is investing approximately $640 million in Australian industry through the Defense Innovation Hub, which aims to develop innovative technology with Defense application.

The third annual Defense Innovation Hub Industry Conference acknowledged the significant potential that Australian small businesses have to deliver advanced Defense capability. “More than 85 per cent of the almost 100 contracts so far awarded by the Defense Innovation Hub have been with small businesses,” Minister Price said.

(Image provided with Australia Ministry of Defense news release)

FMI: www.defence.gov.au