Home base: The Counsellor Defence Materiel works out of the Australian High Commission in London

The Counsellor Defence Materiel London (CONDMAT) is a resource Australian defence industry should know about.

Heading the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) London office, CONDMAT London’s primary role is to provide procurement services to all DMO business units, other Department of Defence groups, government agencies and support defence industry policy application within the region.

The industry policy support entails providing advice and support to Australian industry doing business in the region, to regional industry wishing to do business in Australia, and to DMO project teams developing industry relationships within the region.

CONDMAT London and staff of the DMO London office will advise, and assist when appropriate, Australian industry in its business endeavours in Europe. Considering one of the primary responsibilities of the CONDMAT is to develop contacts with business representatives and government officials to facilitate this type of liaison this DMO employee is a handy contact to have.

On Target contacted CONDMAT London, Graham Rayner, who finishes a three year posting in September 2006 to discuss the advice and assistance he was able to provide Australian industry during his time in the role.

Transcript from Counsellor Defence Materiel London Graham Rayner

‘I must first point out that I am ably assisted in the industry support role by Steve Munford who has supported both me and several of my predecessors, and will continue to support the next CONDMAT. Through his continuity in this role, Steve is well known by many in the Australian, United Kingdom (UK) and European defence industries.

‘We have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to support a number of Australian companies in their pursuit of business in the region during my tenure. Some have yet to bear fruit but there is a great deal of satisfaction in helping, no matter in what small way.

‘Recently I co-hosted the UK launch of a battlefield electronic weapons simulation training system developed by Australian firm Compucat. The system is already in service with Australian and New Zealand military forces and is under close examination by others including the United States and Canada. We helped Compucat identify appropriate people in the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), provided the venue for the launch (Australia House) and helped out in the administration of the event.

‘It all went very well and I am told that it helped Compucat increase its exposure within the British halls of power.

‘In a similar vein we helped Agent Oriented Software (AOS) shortly after I arrived. Company reps came to us for advice on who to contact in the MoD. We also made representations to the MoD, with support from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation representative in London, that helped give the company some added weight. To cut a long story short, AOS is now deeply involved with a MoD program implementing software components, and has set up an office in the UK . It has been a success story.

‘Another success has been the support to MTC Australasia, which now has offices in the UK and is providing training services to the MoD. It was through the Australian experience of the application of Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques that led to MTC training the first UK MoD practitioner. EVM is now viewed by the MoD as an essential tool in their acquisition improvement program.

‘By way of a current example: by the time this edition of On Target reaches its readers, Steve will be supporting two Australian companies, Marand Engineering and Varley Engineering, at an industry day organised by a business unit of the UK MoD to facilitate industry’s awareness of an upcoming series of procurements in airfield support equipment. Steve saw the opportunity for an Australian presence, canvassed industry in Australia based on his knowledge, booked “space” at the venue on behalf of the two companies that saw the opportunity as well, and will attend to support any government follow-up.

‘Part of my role in pursuing the application and development of Australian defence industry policy has been to make regional governments (and the European Union (EU) is a government body) aware of Australian policies and any adverse effects theirs has on our situation. Through this role I have been helping Tenix, in an oblique sort of way, with its strategy to gain a foothold in the European defence market with its Generic Threat Simulator (GTS).

‘Naturally, neither I nor any of the Australian Defence officials in London actually market goods or services. However I have been using the GTS experience as a good example of how Australia is being excluded from the European defence marketplace through the procurement policies and practices of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the EU. It is an unfortunate fact that the evolving EU defence procurement practices are following in NATO’s footsteps, severely limiting Australian industry’s ability to compete for contracts.

‘Whilst the EU and NATO might be frustrating and ultimately not very successful from an industry point of view, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program can only be regarded as a success, and we must strive to ensure that it continues to be so.

‘Steve has been tireless in supporting the JSF. As well as helping the combined government and industry project team establish contacts with UK and regional companies, and participating in the dialogue to be able to assist any follow-up action, he provides eyes and ears across the industry at the various trade shows held in the region to identify potential opportunities for the team.

‘I have had a great deal of personal satisfaction at seeing the evolution of CEA Technology’s products reach maturity. In the early days of my tenure Steve and I supported a Team Australia mission through the UK in pursuit of the US Littoral Combat Ship program, which showcased a number of Australian industry capabilities including CEA. And last year I played a small part at the Defence Systems and Equipment International trade show in encouraging MoD people to talk to the company in relation to a forthcoming MoD program. The timing of the Ministerial press release announcing the selection of CEA’s products for the ANZAC upgrade program could not have been better.

‘Sometimes we facilitate support to industry from other Australian sources. Last year we arranged for our Assistant Naval Adviser, Commander Andrew Fysh, to talk at an acquisition management symposium as part of a combined DoD and industry presentation on the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Asset Management and Planning System (AMPS), developed by Australian companies SMA and Eden Technologies. Commander Fysh gave the end-user’s perspective of the in-service product, whilst SMA and Eden gave a technical and marketing talk. This was in support of SMA and Eden’s efforts to showcase the product to the MoD, and the Royal Navy has been very interested.

‘There has also been quite a number of opportunities to support Australian industry through the hosting of events either at Australia House or other locations. The networking done at a reception, if not resulting in direct interest in a particular product or capability, always contributes to a greater awareness of Australian industry. And these sorts of events must be held regularly to maintain our position on the 'radar scope' of our potential customers.

‘As a final point, I must stress that, when all is said and done, we are government officials. Our business is not to plan, market or sell Australian products or services, but to ensure to the maximum extent possible that regional governments and potential industry partners are aware of Australian industry’s capabilities and how they fit into Australia’s defence industry policy. Without being modest, I think we do a reasonable job. But it is a never-ending one that has at its core, the mantra of the DMO, to equip and sustain the Australian Defence Force.