Late last year the Commonwealth released a Request For Information (RFI) seeking to understand the sovereign industry capacity and maturity that is available to support delivery of the Modernisation of Maritime Electronic Warfare Program. Although the RFI had a good response the criteria to respond may have precluded some organisations with capability in this area from participating in the RFI. Particularly SMEs without existing security clearance, and publicly funded research organisations likewise currently lacking this accreditation or otherwise may have thought that the scope of the technology was not in their realm.
The world of defence research spans an astonishingly broad array of disciplines, from science and technology to policy, law and ethics. But while the former subjects often take centre stage, with advancements in weapons and vehicles capturing the collective imagination, it is often the latter governing the use of these technologies that is overlooked.
