Defence
South Australia is Australia’s defence state and the high-technology centre for the nation’s defence industry.
With over 200 innovative SMEs now also delivering specialist services and products for the ADF (and other defence forces around the world) it's easy to see why South Australia leads the way in key areas, including:
- systems integration
- electronic warfare
- naval shipbuilding and submarine support
- land force enhancement
- intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance
- defence research and development.
Our defence capability is underpinned by the presence of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and three traditional universities now augmented by Carnegie Mellon University, Cranfield University and a strong vocational education provider in TAFESA.
Companies based in South Australia regularly win national defence contracts for new equipment and systems upgrades.
Major defence companies in Adelaide include ASC, BAE Systems, Navantia, General Dynamics Land Systems – Australia, Surveillance Australia, Raytheon Australia, Lockheed Martin, and Saab Systems.
Industry has the opportunity to participate in more than $10 billion worth of defence contracts, including the:
- $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer Contract
- 10-year $1 billion deal to maintain and upgrade the AP-3C Orion aircraft fleet
- multi-billion dollar contract for Collins class submarine through-life support
- relocation of Australia’s new Mechanised Battalion Group to Adelaide - capital construction worth around $600 million commenced in late 2008.
Output
- South Australia's Strategic Plan target T1.20 is to double the defence industry contribution to our economy from $1 billion to $2 billion annually.
Employment
- 11,135 jobs in the industry in 2007, with 13,383 created indirectly.1
Workforce Information Service
Number of businesses
- More than 200 prime contractors and small-to-medium enterprises.2
Research and development
- The State is home to a critical mass of top scientific and research educational institutions, a highly skilled workforce and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
- This historically has been powered by the DSTO at Edinburgh and University of Adelaide, University of South Australia and Flinders University, and now includes the Defence Systems Innovation Centre and Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing.
Geographic focus
- Most defence companies are located in one of Adelaide’s three distinct defence precincts at Technology Park, Edinburgh Parks or Techport Australia.
- Largest land range in the world at the Woomera Test Range for long-range missiles and rockets.
Case studies
ASC
Saab Systems
Pacific Marine Batteries
Industry groups
Defence Teaming Centre
Electronics and ICT Association
Further information: www.defencesa.com
