
What is Defence Industry?
First, Defence Industry is not the Australian Defence Force. Defence Industry is the private-sector businesses that employ talented people, who develop and produce the products, services and technology that the Australian Defence Force require. That is everything from vehicles and equipment, to Artificial Intelligence technology and robotics, to Information Technology and administration. With increased Government funding and more opportunity than ever before, there has never been a better time to join this growing and dynamic industry.

A growing workforce
Find out moreDemand is increasing for Australian businesses and their employees, to have the trade and technical skills to build and maintain fleets of new naval vessels, armoured vehicles, infrastructure and facilities. There is also increasing demand for Australian contribution to intelligence, reconnaissance, cyber and other information based capabilities.
There are more than 15,000 small and medium businesses (and counting).
Thousands of talented individuals
Our direct workforce is made up of thousands of individuals, with diverse skills and backgrounds.
Right across Australia there are many projects supporting Defence. With many more in the pipeline.
AUKUS Nuclear-Powered Submarine Pathway
Acquiring SSNs will involve a whole-of-nation undertaking, creating around 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years, across industry, government and at Defence.
Government Investment

$270 billion
The Australian Government is investing a historic $270 billion in Defence spending as outlined in the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure Plans.

$3.4 billion
Invested through the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator to rapidly develop and transition into service disruptive capability solutions that address Defence’s strategic priorities.

Grants for defence industry
If your small or medium-sized business is looking to invest in its defence-related capabilities, you can apply for a grant to fund between 50 to 100 % of your costs depending on the grant.

Growing your business
The Office of Defence Industry Support provides a range of services to support businesses in defence industry. These services aim to help small to medium-sized Australian businesses grow their capacity to meet Defence needs and to join global defence industry supply chains.

Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry Grant
A grant of up to $500,000 to help your business with skills development and training in defence industry.

Defence Global Competitiveness Grant
A grant of up to $240,000 to help your business invest in projects that address barriers to exporting and build your defence export capability.

JSF Industry Support Program
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Industry Support Program - Sustainment Grants provide Australian businesses with between $50,000 and $250,000 to fund up to 50% of eligible projects to win work in the sustainment phase of the JSF Program.

Getting involved as an individual
Companies in Defence Industry need employees all across Australia with a wide range of skills.

Getting involved as a business
A business can tender for Defence contracts directly, or supply to an existing Defence contractor or sub-contractor.
Some of the skills needed in Defence Industry
Some of the skills Defence needs in Defence Industry are: engineering; design; manufacturing; program management; logistics; and support services.

Engineering
is fundamentally important to the design, construction and maintenance of the Australian Defence Force’s complex systems. Sub-disciplines of engineering have varying levels of relevance to defence technology and include systems engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering and electrical engineering.
The discipline includes degree-qualified engineers including specialists, such as aeronautical engineers or marine engineers; as well as those with vocational training in technical skillsets. Systems engineering is particularly relevant to complex defence projects and is in very high demand.

Design
assists with establishing the requirements for a project, creating a picture of the project’s complexity and build process. It includes a number of sub-disciplines, such as computer-aided design (CAD), systems design, interface design and software design. Design has significant intersections with engineering.
Design professionals typically operate closely with engineers to reduce project risk. In some areas of defence industry, designers are also trained as engineers. This can be a particularly effective practice in large-scale and complex projects such as naval shipbuilding.

Manufacturing
skills are those which support industrial production methods, particularly those which involve the scaled production of goods. Associated skills include fabrication, welding, production design, and boiler making.
Defence Industry manufactures military platforms and systems, such as armoured vehicles, as well as the spare parts for systems.

Program Management
includes a variety of skillsets which support the delivery of goods and services through effective planning and coordination. Specialists employed in program management can include contracting officers, project managers, project schedulers and cost estimators.
Defence Industry in Australia places particular importance on project management skills, due to the project-driven nature of defence.

Logistics
are required for every operational or training activity the Australian Defence Force undertakes and is absolutely critical for the management of Australian Defence Force vehicles and assets. In the defence sector, logistics refers to the practice of planning and organising complex activities in support of defence capability, which could include arranging transport of people and materiel, or the maintenance of military systems.

Support Services
Support to Defence can include a wide range of services, such as long-term maintenance for complex systems, training and simulation, and information and communication technologies (ICT) support. Support services intersect with other disciplines in various ways; this is particularly true of ICT services. Computers and digital technologies are increasingly critical to every piece of modern military technology. Without the skills needed to support this digitisation, the ADF’s technological advantage over potential adversaries would be eroded.
Find out more in the Defence Industry Skilling and STEM Strategy
Watch here to learn more about
real life jobs in defence industry

Priority Capabilities
The Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities are (in no particular order):
- Combat clothing survivability and signature reduction technologies;
- Munitions and small arms research, design, development and manufacture;
- Land combat and protected vehicles and technology upgrades;
- Aerospace platform deeper maintenance and structural integrity;
- Collins class submarine maintenance and technology upgrade;
- Continuous shipbuilding program (including rolling submarine acquisition);
- Enhanced active phased array and passive radar capability;
- Advanced signal processing capability;
- Surveillance and intelligence;
- Test, evaluation, certification and systems assurance;
- Robotics, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence;
- Precision guided munitions, hypersonic weapons, and integrated air and missile defence systems;
- Space;
- and Information warfare and cyber capabilities.