Air Platforms
Key materials in Australian Defence aircrafts include composites, aluminium alloys, titanium alloys for structural components, and nimonic superalloys for engine components.
Projects under this program focus on:
- Developing composites
- Building components for aircraft engines
- Developing domestic capacity to manufacture and sustain components
- Developing prognostic health monitoring systems for detecting component degradation
Program Benefits:
- Manufacture affordable titanium components to provide supply contract opportunities
- Building the whole-of-supply-chain for delivery of manufacturing technologies
- Adaptability of products to dual-use applications across industry sectors
- Improved preventative maintenance programs
- Development of predictive tools for paint and alloy degradation
- Improved asset performance and through-life support
- Reduced cost of asset ownership
- Expertise at customising equipment for Australian requirements
- Improved manufacturing and operational efficiency
- Capability to automate the detection of defects in composites
Maritime Platforms
Maritime Platforms at the centre of this program include primarily surface ships and submarines.
Projects under this program focus on:
- Examining structural integrity and fitness for surface and submarine components
- Electromagnetic shielding
- Structural health monitoring systems
- Optimum application technology for rebuilding and enhancing erosion-corrosion performance of critical metallic components
Program Benefits:
- New alloys to increase steel strength
- Improvements in sea-keeping stability and payload
- Reduction in the number of vertical joints in outer hull structures
- Cost-effective component reclamation
- Improved service performance and increased sea-time
- Robotic manipulation for repair of complex-shaped components
- Enhanced mechanical properties and improved fatigue and corrosion resistance
- Embedded health monitoring systems for continual assessment and through-life support
- Use of new repair technologies that are internationally competitive
- Building the whole-of-supply-chain for delivery of manufacturing technologies
Armour Applications
The Armour Applications program looks at ways to reduce weight and increase payload and/or mobility while providing superior platform/personnel protection.
Projects under this program focus on:
- Improving existing metallic armour materials
- Developing alternative materials such as titanium armour materials
- Extend the life and capability of existing armoured vehicles
- Contributing to the design of new protected light vehicles
Program Benefits:
- High performance armour materials to increase protection for Defence vehicles and personnel
- Delivery of optimum design protective materials by cost-effective means
- Extension of the life and capability of existing armoured vehicles
- Contribute to the design of new purpose-built light vehicles
- Improved affordability of asset ownership and maintenance
- Building the whole-of-supply-chain for delivery of manufacturing technologies
- Adaptability of products to dual-use applications across industry sectors
- Improved preventative maintenance programs
- Expertise at customising equipment for Australian requirements
- Improved manufacturing and operational efficiency
Propulsion Systems
The Propulsion Systems program provides scientific and technological support to production and through-life management for current and future defence air platforms.
Projects under this program focus on:
- Advanced surface engineering and repair technologies
- Assessment of aircraft structures and engine components
- Acquisition advice about new materials such as metal and ceramic matrix composites
- Turbine blade replacement and airfoil repair in gas turbine engines for next generation aircraft
Program Benefits:
- Development of new technologies to restore and enhance structures and components
- Experience with new materials
- Improved asset reliability, availability, maintainability
- Improved operational efficiency
- Lower cost of asset ownership
- Development of new repair technologies for hypersonic flight projects
- Development of capability to repair components in situ
- Reduced cost of maintenance
- Development and testing of advanced ultra-high temperature coatings
- Substantially lengthen the duration of hypersonic flight