iscover
Canberra-based public company XTEK has been selected to provide the Department of Defence with its “Wasp”, small unmanned aerial systems (SUAS) drone platforms, in a $2.75 million deal.
XTEK’s SUAS offering is designed to provide the tactical intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) solutions used in military environments.
The platforms can transmit real-time tactical reconnaissance, tracking, combat assessment and geographic data to a small tactical unit or individual.
The unmanned systems are expected to be delivered to Defence throughout the 2022 and 2023 financial years.
The new order is in addition to recent requests for SUAS spare parts and related specialist software from Defence, worth a combined $4.94 million.
“This new order from Defence totalling $2.75 million for new Wasp systems, in combination with $2.19 million of other SUAS orders recently received for spare parts and related specialist software licences – including XTEK’s own Australian-made XTatlas software – are provided as part of the ongoing support contract we have with Defence for the LAND 129 Phase 4A project,” Scott Basham, XTEK group CEO, said.
“The systems and spare parts from this order will be held in our state-of-the-art SUAS repair facility in Canberra, and the specialist software, including our XTatlas software, will be deployed to key locations around the country, and be used to keep this important UAV capability operational for Defence.”
This latest order comes just days after XTEK announced the receipt of a $2.75 million order for specialist ballistic armour products from an undisclosed customer, to be delivered by its wholly-owned US subsidiary HighCom Armor Solutions.
This has come off the back of growing international demand for the company’s ballistic products.
Last October, HighCom Armor Solutions received a US$1.1 million ($1.5 million) purchase order from an undisclosed US federal government department for the delivery of specialist ballistic armour products.
The company is expected to leverage its experience producing ultra-light high-performance hard armour plates and ballistic helmets from its manufacturing facilities in Columbus and Adelaide.
Article courtesy of Defence Connect.
