Electronic and Weapon Systems Division: supporting the Australian Defence Force through provision of electronic systems, guided and non guided weapons and explosive ordnance.

Over the coming decade Defence Materiel Organisation’s (DMO) Electronic and Weapon Systems Division (EWSD) will be responsible for about $20 billion in expenditure on electronic systems according to the Defence Capability Plan (DCP).

EWSD acquires and sustains the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) electronic systems, as well as all types and natures of guided and non-guided weapons and explosive ordnance.

The electronics sector pervades practically every major capital acquisition made by the ADF. The value of this decades electronic systems work in Australia is estimated to be between $9 billion and $12 billion.

Head of EWSD Ms Shireane McKinnie acknowledged the challenges EWSD faces in undertaking its task in an address at a recent Defence Watch Seminar and spoke of the initiatives the division is implementing to mediate those challenges.

‘ Electronic and weapon systems give our people the technology, intelligence and explosive power to conduct operations today, tomorrow and well into the future,’ she said.

‘With a large expenditure on electronic systems outlined in the DCP across the next decade, EWSD is focused on accountability and results.

‘EWSD is leading the implementation of key areas of the Electronic Systems Sector plan which aims to foster electronics industry capabilities that are crucial to the support of the ADF and to military self reliance.

‘The plan has identified four specific areas of concern with Defence’s current approach within the electronics sector; namely electronic warfare, mobile military communications, underwater acoustics and radar. Defence and industry collaboration is important to ensure these concerns are addressed.

‘DMO and industry will jointly develop goals and a framework for capability improvement in military systems integration. Targets will be set using benchmarking methods such as the Capability Maturity Model Integrated. This will be done via a new initiative called the Defence Electronic Sector Development Forum,’ Ms McKinnie said.

EWSD is also working to address an ageing workforce and the Australian skills shortage. Ms McKinnie said the EWSD workforce presents some interesting statistics with 66 per cent of EWSD people aged over 40 years old and 27 per cent over 50 years old.

‘There are significant challenges associated with an aging workforce which will be further compounded as EWSD is a specialised area and knowledge is built over years and Australia has a general shortage of skills in fields such as engineering,’ Ms McKinnie said.

‘The first in a series of DMO initiatives to address these problems is the development of a pilot traineeship scheme aimed at students studying at the Technical and Further Education Colleges around the country. Planning has also begun to establish an engineering cadetship program to address the shortfall in students undertaking engineering courses. Initial research of similar programs operating in the private sector is underway. We are also now looking at more flexible ways of recruiting. The initiative will be trialled with project managers and if successful expanded to other job families.

‘The program has been established to boost the available pool of skilled workers which will be required for future projects.

‘In order to remain flexible EWSD, as a significant part of DMO, will need to think strategically and reactively, and we must do this simultaneously,’ Ms McKinnie said.