New SIC plan paves the way to Defence work for Australian small businesses
Defence has released the third in a series of Strategic Industrial Capability (SIC) Priority Implementation Plans. The Land Combat and Protected Vehicles and Technology Upgrades Plan is designed to provide help and guidance to Australian small businesses who already operate with Defence as well as those who aspire to join the industry. It will help them to invest in a way that best supports the Australian Defence Force’s capability needs, according to the Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price.
The Plan identifies four critical industrial capabilities:
- Protection Technologies, especially survivability and signature reduction
- Integration, Networking and Communications, especially expertise in the interoperability of hardware and software and data integrity
- Vehicle and Systems upgrades, at both the system and sub-system level
- Sustainment, focussing on operational availability and reduced costs
“The release of this Plan is a significant step in providing greater clarity, supporting industry to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity,” said Minister Price. “My number one priority is giving small business the tools they need to be involved in our defence industry, and grow their businesses to enable them to enter global markets.”
The Plan provides information on how Defence will work with industry to build and grow sovereign industrial capabilities, and follows the release of the Combat Clothing and Munitions and Small Arms Plans in December 2019.