Australia cultivates domestic drone industry with $4.45m investment

Published on August 22, 2024

Australia will inject A$6.6m ($4.45m) in three domestic drone manufacturers in an effort to cultivate a sovereign industrial base for a military system that is gaining traction around the world.

Contracts were signed with AMSL Aero, Boresight and Grabba Technologies after a ‘fly-off’ demonstration proved the performance of their offerings in April this year. Each company was provided A$2.2m each to convert their prototypes to a production standard and produce 100 general purpose systems.

Already, government funds have supported the development of AMSL’s zero-emission Vertiia electric take-off and landing (eVOTL) vehicle since February this year in order to combat bushfires. Likewise, Boresight provides commercial drone capabilities – quadcopters and swarming concepts – to Australian government agencies.

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