Skilling up Australia’s electronic warfare workforce
Defence
A leading Australian electronic warfare consultancy has partnered with global defence company Leonardo to train next generation defence technicians.
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Adelaide-based DEWC Group of companies has launched its School of Information Operations (SOIO) and is offering Electronic Warfare, Cyber, Information Operations, Undersea Warfare and Communications training.
SOIO ran its first course last month – a three-day electronic warfare course – at the University of South Australia.
DEWC T&E CEO Glenn Murray said new courses were being developed and more than 30 existing Leonardo training courses could now potentially be offered in Australia.
He said DEWC was looking to partner with Australian higher education providers to potentially include its modules as part of postgraduate degrees in the defence studies area.
“We have a number of ex-DST, Army, Navy and Air Force personnel who we’ll be drawing on as instructors so there is definitely a wealth of operational experience to draw on,” Murray said.
“We’re also talking to Defence to deliver any specific training needs to help grow their electronic warfare capability.”
South Australia is pivotal in Australia’s $90 billion plan to regenerate the Royal Australian Navy with new submarines, frigates and offshore patrol vessels. The Attack class submarines will be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, which is undergoing a $500 million upgrade.
Major investment is also underway at the RAAF Base Edinburgh 30km north of Adelaide to support the introduction of the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, MC-55 ISREW aircraft and the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle.
“The growth has just started, and we are ready to deliver the skills and capability requirement to suit defence and industry needs,” Murray said.
“The coherent shipbuilding plan is the basis of its grade and with the Air Force acquiring a whole lot of new electronic warfare capabilities and expanding their ISR workforce, specifically within the ISR precinct at RAAF base Edinburgh, we believe we can position ourselves to support that capability and offer training solutions to industry and government in various areas.”
DEWC T&E forms one third of DEWC Group along with DEWC Services and DEWC Systems, which is developing Australia’s Miniaturised Orbital Electronic Warfare Sensor System (MOESS).
Several other South Australian education institutions are also ramping up defence training ahead of the impending industry surge.
Flinders University and TAFE SA have announced partnerships with the Naval Shipbuilding College in recent months while the University of Adelaide is rejuvenating its Master of Marine Engineering program following a partnership with Australian submarine company ASC.
Murray said DEWC’s partnership with Leonardo gave it access to a massive course catalogue and the confidence to develop its own training modules.
“Whilst there is Defence spend in South Australia our main target market is here, but we’re definitely looking to support the whole Australian region and potentially overseas customers,” he said.
“Leonardo provide training for the UK, NATO and other partners in the Northern Hemisphere so they’ve got quite a big footprint over there.”
“We want to leverage off some of that experience and potentially offer the same capability for our regional allies and partners. Through SOIO, DEWC can help build Australia’s EW workforce capabilities.”
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