Sovereign Uncrewed Aerial Systems Challenge

In July 2023, ASCA released its first approach to industry through a Request for Information (RFI) for its first innovation challenge - Sovereign Uncrewed Aerial Systems Challenge. The challenge is seeking information regarding uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) ecosystem with the eventual intent to stimulate Australian industry collaboration to achieve a sovereign small UAS appropriate for training, surveying, photographic, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance purposes.

In November 2023, informed by the RFI as well as a range of market intelligence sources and subject matter experts, ASCA released a limited Invitation to Register for companies to enter into short development contracts to provide a production plan and prototype. This was to meet an urgent requirement for a very small multi-purpose UAS that could be manufactured in quantities of over 3000 units. The basic requirements were an affordable price (<$5,000 AUD), low weight (<2 kg) with a range of 5 km and a stable camera.

Following a ‘fly-off’ demonstration in April 2024 with 10 companies, 3 companies signed contracts worth a total of $6.6 million to finalise development of their prototypes to a production standard and produce 100 general purpose UAS.

Sovereign UAS Challenge partners