Sea state

The Australian government donated drones and operator training worth just under $1 million to the Philippine coast guard in early May. The gift of 20 aerial drones and training by drone operators from Australia’s environment department is part of Australia’s civil maritime cooperation with the Philippines. That cooperation is planned to double in value between 2025 and 2029. The drones will scale up the Philippine coast guard’s sea surveillance capability, which is sorely needed as the country’s territorial waters come under persistent Chinese pressure.

Separately, Perth-based Blue Ocean Marine Tech Systems showcased its prototype underwater surveillance drone for the Royal Navy at Portsmouth in May. The prototype, designed in partnership with European defence technology firm Helsing, is a cost-effective mobile acoustic sensor network that can persistently track enemy submarines.

Flight path

The US Air Force is advancing the development of its sixth-generation F-47 fighter. F-47s will have a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles and a maximum speed surpassing Mach 2. The F-47, developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance program, is designed to replace the F-22 Raptor. Its improved range and stealth will support the United States’ broader strategy of maintaining air superiority and addressing emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific.

The Pacific Response Group, a newly formed multinational emergency response unit, made its operational debut during Exercise Croix du Sud 2025. The large-scale humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise was led by France in New Caledonia and in Wallis and Futuna. Established in November 2024 and endorsed by the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting, the Pacific Response Group comprises personnel from Australia, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. During the exercise, it tested its capabilities in real-world scenarios, including coordinating with local authorities, assessing disaster response requirements and strengthening relationships with communities.

Rapid fire

The Australian Army has stood up its second squadron of main battle tanks equipped with 36 US-made M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks. This results from an agreement in January 2022 for Australia to acquire 75 such tanks to replace 59 M1A1 Abrams. The vehicles incorporate major improvements in survivability, firepower and digital connectivity. The army expects to take delivery of the remaining tanks later this year.

Exercise Balikatan 2025 finished up on Palawan in the Philippines on 9 May. Alongside US and Philippine forces, Australian soldiers participated in live-fire training for repelling amphibious landings. The exercises are a long-standing signal of joint commitment to Indo-Pacific security. For the first time, the European observer contingent included representatives from the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and the Netherlands.

Final frontier

Q-CTRL has conducted successful field trials of its quantum-assured navigation system, Ironstone Opal, which offers high-precision, GPS-independent positioning through fully passive and resilient quantum sensing. The system demonstrated accuracy comparable to GPS, with the added advantage of immunity to jamming, spoofing and detection. This innovation is poised to support emerging requirements in defence, aerospace and autonomous systems, offering a robust alternative for contested or signal-denied environments.

Space Centre Australia, chaired by former prime minister Scott Morrison, has partnered with NASA to develop a horizontal satellite launch system as part of plans to build a spaceport in Cape York, Queensland. The project is currently limited to concept designs and digital renderings, but the agreement with NASA is anticipated to prove feasibility.    Central to the plan is the use of a cargo-style military aircraft to carry and release a launcher at high altitude, which would then propel a satellite into orbit. The aircraft, being sourced from the UK’s Royal Air Force, is not yet in place, and the system remains in the development phase.

Wired watchtower

Australia deployed a joint field installation team to the Middle East in support of Operation Accordion, marking the first major forward deployment of the Joint Force Cyber Component. The team, drawn from 13 army and air force units, is tasked with installing kilometres of fibre optic and copper cabling to establish secure communications. Their work supports a broader cyber systems refresh across the Middle East, Europe and Africa, including the replacement of outdated systems and network upgrades. The mission aims to ensure secure and reliable connectivity for deployed personnel in operational environments.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) reported a record 1,113 data breaches in 2024. This is a 25 percent increase from the previous year and most since mandatory reporting began in 2018. The most affected sectors were health service providers, followed by Australian government agencies, finance, legal and accounting services and retail. The OAIC found that 69 percent of breaches were caused by malicious or criminal attacks, often targeting sensitive data such as contact, identity, financial and health information.