UK partnership brings UAV manufacture to regional Australia
By Leo D’Angelo Fisher
Australian company Glaive International Defence and UK-based Marques Aviation have announced a research and development (R&D), manufacturing and commercial partnership which will see Glaive manufacture advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Australia. Marques is a global aerospace company specialising in unmanned aircraft systems for government and commercial clients. The Marques Aviation Group incorporates the Oxford Aerospace Academy which hosts the Oxford Aerospace Research Centre (OARC-UK), a platform that coordinates international R&D consortiums for the development of aerospace technologies.
Glaive founder and CEO Vincent Marty says the partnership between Glaive and Marques is “a great example” of technology transfer aimed at developing manufacturing capability in Australia
The venture will see the creation of Glaive’s new Technological Defence Hub in regional Australia – locations are under consideration in NSW and Queensland – including a new aircraft manufacturing plant and the creation of “dozens” of local jobs.
“The collaboration responded to an increasing drive and demand for enterprises to reboot and reposition defence manufacturing in Australia,” Marty says.
“Acquiring advanced technology in the defence Industry, manufacturing such high-performance UAVs in Australia, and helping reboot the local economy which has suffered due to Covid-19, falls in line with the Australian Government and Australian Defence vision of restoring Australian manufacturing and defence sovereignty.”
The technology partnership will result in the production of medium-size unmanned aerial platforms characterised by hybrid solar-hydrogen-battery energy systems, artificial intelligence sensor fusion, smart multi-function materials, intelligent structures and cloud-based Unmanned Traffic Management and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality training.
Marques Aviation president Dr Pascual Marqués says Glaive’s Technological Defence Hub in regional Australia will serve as “a nucleus for the manufacturing of advanced aerospace technologies” as well as enhance training and education in the unmanned aerospace sector.
OARC-UK will provide R&D programs and education and training at Glaive’s facilities in Australia.
Leo D'Angelo Fisher is a regular columnist and Editor-at-Large at Australian Veteran News. Connect with him on Twitter: @DAngeloFisher.