Defence Innovation, Science and Technology Strategy "Accelerating Asymmetric Advantage – delivering More, Together"
The 2024 National Defence Strategy (NDS) highlights the importance of asymmetric advantage in a deteriorating strategic environment and the need to rapidly pull through innovation into capability. The Defence Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) Strategy responds to the direction set by the NDS.
The Strategy outlines a 10-year vision for an integrated, secure approach to IS&T capability development and translation through close collaboration between Defence, industry, universities, research organisations and international partners (the Defence IS&T Ecosystem) to deliver asymmetric capabilities to the ADF. The Strategy will be updated every two years to align with the biennial NDS cycle.
Four strategic objectives guide our approach:
- contribute to the Strategy of Denial
- generate asymmetric advantage
- accelerate innovative solutions into capability
- grow our Defence IS&T Ecosystem through strategic partnerships.
The Strategy responds to short term Defence capability needs while recognising the need for development of technologies and new capabilities that may be required by Defence in the longer term. The Strategy will be delivered through the following four lines of effort:
- Anticipating the future
- Experimentation
- Integrated Ecosystem
- Mission Driven
The Strategy encompasses the entire Defence IS&T Enterprise, comprising all Groups and Services and portfolio bodies within Defence. It emphasises the need for early stage research and focuses existing efforts on key IS&T priorities described in the NDS and through AUKUS. The IS&T priorities, as outlined in the NDS, are hypersonics, directed energy, trusted autonomy, quantum technology, information warfare and long‑range fires.
The Defence IS&T Strategy was released at the opening of the Australian Defence Science Technology and Research (ADSTAR) Summit 2024 in Canberra.
View the Accelerating Asymmetric Advantage – delivering More, Together Strategy
