Melbourne manufacturer Tectonica Australia has won a $25 million contract to provide sophisticated camera technology aimed at boosting safety for the Army’s Boxer armoured vehicles.
Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price has announced Tectonica as the latest local company to secure contracts to deliver the combat reconnaissance vehicles.
The Block II 8×8 Boxer vehicles are being assembled for the Australian Army at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Queensland.
“Tectonica Australia’s Local Situational Awareness System will provide vehicle crew and operators with improved situational awareness by day and by night,” Minister Price said.
“By investing in this sovereign capability, we are creating long-term jobs and opportunities for businesses in our defence industry.”
Minister Price said the Morrison Government is creating opportunities for innovative local companies like Tectonica Australia to expand into global supply chains.
“The expertise and quality of Australia’s defence industry will ensure the Australian Defence Force is supplied with a world-leading capability,” Minister Price said.
“For these Australian companies, the real potential here is their relationship with Rheinmetall and the ongoing opportunities to partner with them for their projects both here and in Europe.”
Three other Australian businesses – Sydney-based GPC Electronics, Adelaide-based Century Manufacturing and Yerriyong-based Air Affairs Australia – will share in $8 million worth of work to provide the processing and storage components for high performance computing and network devices.
These devices, known as Tactical Edge Servers, are designed and developed by Queensland-based Boeing Defence Australia.
“This world class technology is locally designed, produced and maintained by Australian companies, and will be serviced through a local supply chain,” Minister Price said.
Tactical Edge Servers have been successfully tested in some of the most demanding conditions, and are ideally suited to withstand the hostile environment and combat conditions the Boxer 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles may encounter.
Rheinmetall Defence Australia will deliver 211 Boxer 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles to replace Army’s Australian Light Armoured Vehicles, under the LAND 400 Phase 2 Mounted Combat Reconnaissance Capability project.
