Australia announced as drone radio export hub after success in Ukraine

The BluSDR-6 is a mesh MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Network) radio that enables uncrewed aerial systems, command posts and ground systems to stay connected even when jammed or out of line of sight.

“This is about building resilience and sovereignty with respect to the manufacture of drone radios. We see the transition in warfighting concepts putting a greater emphasis on the drone capability,” according to Matt Jones, DTC vice president, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

“The DTC family of radios is that foundation enabling capability to delivering that transition to drone warfighting and the ability now to manufacture those radios in Australia really frees up that global supply chain resilience that we need to support this capability.

“This technology is the technology that DTC owns and can now be manufactured out of our production facility in Mawson Lakes, which is our group headquarters. And that enables you to do all of the maintenance and support for that capability out of Australia and across the global network.

“We’re an Australian solution, delivering an Australian product and can be supported out of Australia.”

Australian drone company SYPAQ Systems has selected the BluSDR-6 and Codan’s Sentry 6161 radio for delivery to the Australian Defence Force under the LAND129 Phase 3 Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System Project.

“These locally produced radios give Australia a guaranteed, sovereign source of world-leading mesh MANET communications,” according to SYPAQ Systems managing director Amanda Holt.

“They strengthen national resilience while accelerating the Australian Defence Force’s transition to unmanned systems.”

Codan has also confirmed the establishment of a production line for the new BluSDR-6 model at its advanced engineering and manufacturing hub in South Australia.

The company is reportedly leveraging lessons learnt as an enabler of Ukraine’s frontline unmanned systems, operating in GPS-denied conditions and under continuous Russian electronic warfare attack, to deliver innovative, responsive and consistent results.

“DTC has been engaged with Ukraine now since the beginning of the main conflict. We now deliver substantial quantities of these BluSDR radios to support Ukraine, to enable them to deliver their medium-to-long range UAV capability,” according to DTC’s Matt Jones.

“A key aspect of this is not necessarily the radio hardware technology, whilst that is leading edge. It’s actually about the support and maintenance of that capability in a real-time sense.

“We maintain resources ready to support our deployed systems on a 24/7 basis that allows any operating forces to reach back and ask for support where we can actually produce fixes or enhance capability in days, weeks, or months, depending upon what’s actually been asked.

“So, we’re very responsive to the customer, which is actually why we’re now the preferred radio solution in Ukraine, because we’re partnered with those forces to deliver that as an ongoing capability.

“We started with 0 per cent of the market in Ukraine, and now we’re the preferred solution. We’re delivering substantial quantities of radius as a result of our performance, not just from a technology point of view, but also our responsiveness to deliver an ongoing and improved capability.

“I would say what’s been fundamental to our success in support of Ukraine is our ability to put resources on the ground, where we’ve got a permanent representation which allows us to work with lots of the drone manufacturers and also to receive the operational feedback on how to improve the capability to meet their daily changing tactical needs.

“We have that framework of capability, world-leading hardware technology, combined with a very responsive engineering support capability that keeps it contemporary with the emerging threats.”

Myroshnychenko said he was pleased to join the launch of the Australian production of the BluSDR-6.

“Ukraine’s experience on the battlefield has shown what’s possible when innovation meets necessity. The technologies tested and deployed in Ukraine, including systems like the BluSDR, are redefining modern warfare,” he said.

“SYPAQ’s cardboard drones became world famous three years ago when they were supplied to the Ukrainian defence forces. SYPAQ picked BluSDR-6 radio for its CorvoX drone to supply to the ADF.”