Defence engineering firm Babcock Australasia has launched a new International Engineering & Technology Hub in Melbourne, as part of increased research and development efforts including projects under the AUKUS pact.
The $3.5 million Abbotsford facility will drive engineering initiatives supporting Babcock’s global operation and is designed as a collaborative environment for engineers and technologists to pioneer cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern warfare.
Key projects and initiatives being managed from the hub include:
- Development of advanced capabilities such as autonomous surveillance, undersea systems, and strategic communications technologies to meet trilateral requirements
- Systems engineering, integration and testing in support of Australian and New Zealand high frequency communications, along with growth of global capability in complex systems development
- Design and build support for Babcock International’s Type 31 Frigate programme in the UK
- Generation of breakthrough innovations in autonomy, artificial intelligence, digitally enabled asset management, and electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft solutions for Babcock’s aviation operations
- And exploration of future opportunities for nuclear-powered submarine engineering and support.
Part-funded by the Victorian Government, the facility is expected to create as many as 100 new highly skilled jobs over the next three years and will play a crucial role in Babcock’s workforce development initiatives.
Babcock Australasia CEO Andrew Cridland said: “This leading facility will enable the delivery of complex and bespoke technical solutions to both the Australian Defence Force and our allies around the world, particularly around AUKUS Pillar 2, which relies on the combined industrial might of the trilateral partners to deliver interoperability and advanced capabilities.”
The hub has been designed with future defence needs in mind and includes provisions for specialist laboratories and other security-accredited testing facilities to simulate, model and validate new technologies so they can be brought into service quickly.
