South Australian company Silentium Defence has been awarded a new contract with the Defence Innovation Hub to develop its space surveillance passive radar technology.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price today announced the $3.5 million Defence Innovation Hub contract with Silentium Defence.

“The technology being developed by Silentium Defence is supporting the creation and retention of Australian defence industry jobs in the high-technology sector and is also showing great potential to transition into ADF capability,” Minister Price said.

“This new contract will allow Silentium to demonstrate a more mature and capable sensor in support of Defence space domain awareness.”

Silentium Defence is a world leader in the design of passive surveillance systems and has won four Defence Innovation Hub contracts to develop these types of technologies.

“I’m delighted to see the Defence Innovation Hub continuing to provide Australian businesses with opportunities that could enhance Defence capability,” Minister Price said.

Senator for South Australia and Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham welcomed the new contract that would see South Australian company Silentium Defence continue to develop new advanced radar technologies.

“We’re supporting South Australian businesses like Silentium Defence to reach their full potential and become a major part of our growing local defence industry,” Minister Birmingham said.

“This is not just an investment in new defence capabilities and technologies to support our defence industry, it’s an investment in South Australia businesses and jobs.”

The Morrison Government has awarded more $270 million in Innovation Hub contracts since December 2016 to develop innovative technologies with Defence applications.

About 84 per cent of these investments have been with Australian micro, small and medium sized businesses.

Industry and research organisations can submit innovation proposals through the Defence Innovation Portal at: Defence Innovation Hub update.