Overview
- Australia’s Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy set a $7 billion, ten‑year counter‑drone plan on Tuesday under the 2026 Integrated Investment Program, starting with two local contracts awarded through ASCA’s Mission Syracuse.
- AIM Defence will receive $21.3 million to advance its Fractl laser, a high‑energy system that can track an object the size of a 10‑cent coin at over 100 km/h and burn through steel to stop single drones or swarms.
- SYPAQ Systems won $10.4 million to develop Corvo Strike, an interceptor drone built to chase, lock onto, and destroy larger battlefield drones, creating a layered defence when paired with the laser.
- Officials say the goal is cheaper shoot‑downs than firing missiles, pointing to recent wars where forces used multi‑million‑dollar interceptors against drones that cost a fraction of that price.
- Defence plans to integrate both systems into ADF command‑and‑control under the LAND 156 program, build sovereign industry with possible exports under strict controls, and more than double 2024 counter‑drone funding as some analysts question if the scale is enough.