The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) opened a Request for Information (RFI) in May 2026, seeking solutions that enable agile signature management through decoy, deception, camouflage and concealment (DDCC).
The RFI sought solutions that could solve the following Challenge Statement:
How might Defence better disguise its signatures including the disposition, movement, endurance and intentions of Australian Defence Force assets (including fixed facilities, equipment, digital systems, military platforms and warfighting supplies) using novel physical and non-physical (electronic warfare, cyber and influence) denial and deception technologies to degrade adversary intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting capabilities?
Milestones
On 5 October 2026, 15 organisations were invited to present their promising solutions at the Pitch Day 2026 – DDCC event to an esteemed judging panel and audience comprised of wider Defence stakeholders. The event was held in Perth, coinciding with the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition 2026.
Congratulations to the following Pitch Day 2026 prize winners.
| Prize | Pitch presenter and organisation | Pitch title |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation Award Winner | Mr Daniel Sweeney, PentenAmio | Theatre-wide Adaptive Electronic Deception Orchestration |
| Innovation Award Finalist | Dr Robby McKilliam, Whipbird Signals | Noisy Miner Swarmable Counter-Radar Emitter |
| Innovation Award Finalist | Mr Nick Tamblyn, Liarbird | Cyber Denial and Deception Platform |
| Best Presenter Award | Mr Heysen Siegfried, SAAB Australia | Saab’s Wearable Camouflage |
A full list of all pitch presenters from the day, including the video recording, can be found on Pitch Day 2026 – DDCC event page.
Background
ASCA’s Pitch Days seek to provide industry and academia the opportunity to pitch their innovative technologies to senior Defence officials and members of the broader defence ecosystem.
The RFI opened on 4 May 2026 through AusTender – ASCA Pitch Day 2026, and closed on 9 June 2026.
A virtual market briefing for industry and academia occurred on 13 May 2026.