Lockheed Martin to build R&D centre in Melbourne

Defence technology company Lockheed Martin Australia will invest $13 million over the next three years to build a new R&D centre in Melbourne.

The planned Science Technology Engineering Leadership and Research Laboratory will be Lockheed Martin’s first multidisciplinary R&D facility outside of the US.

It will be designed to test new technologies in areas including hypersonics, autonomy, robotics, communications, intelligence and surveillance.

Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne said the facility will provide opportunities for the department’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group) to collaborate with Lockheed Martin researchers.

“The 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement outlined government’s commitment to building and harnessing the innovation potential of Australia’s defence industry, and outlined a series of initiatives to support this,” he said.

“Later this year, the Turnbull government will launch the new Defence Innovation Hub, which brings together existing Defence innovation programs to deliver a streamlined and agile approach to innovation.”

He said with the hub and the Next Generation Technology Fund, the government will invest $1.3 billion over the next decade to improve the defence-related innovation capabilities of industry, academia and research institutions.

Lockheed Martin has meanwhile appointed DST Group Senior Executive Dr Tony Lindsay as director of the new laboratory. Lindsay has had a 28-year career with DST Group and is currently chief of the group’s National Security and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division.

Image courtesy of Ronnie Macdonald under CC