Media Release

DPAO 145/99
 Friday, May 14, 1999

Sub-Groups Formed of New Defence/Industry Advisory Forum

The Capability Development Advisory Forum (CDAF), designed to foster early involvement between Defence and Australian industry, has named senior Defence officers to chair environmental working groups (EWGs).

The groups, for Command, Control and Intelligence (C3I); Aerospace; Maritime; and Land environments, are to provide early industry consultation on capability development matters.

The Capability Development Advisory Forum (CDAF) is an initiative of the Defence and Industry Strategic Policy Statement launched last year. Its purpose is to provide a conduit for industry to put forward its views early in the capability development process and to enable Defence to test the strength of its capability proposals.

The CDAF meeting of April 7 foreshadowed the establishment of subordinate Environmental Working Groups (EWGs).

The CDAF EWGs will be chaired by officers from Defence's Capability Development Division.

Head of Defence's Capability Development Division Rear Admiral David Shackleton today announced the following will chair each of the four groups:

  • C3I – Brigadier Tim McKenna;

  • Aerospace – Air Commodore Norm Gray;

  • Maritime – Commodore Tim Cox; and

  • Land – Brigadier Jim Wallace.
"They will be paired with the Deputy Chairs from industry announced by Mr Brian Weston of Australian Business and the Association of Australian Aerospace Industries," RADM Shackleton said: "C3I - Mr Greg Royle (of CSC Australia); Aerospace - Mr Brian Weston (from Australian Business representing AAAI); Maritime – Mr Chris Jenkins (from Thomson Marconi Sonar) and Land – Mr Don McDonough (from Tenix Defence Systems).

"This arrangement is in keeping with the spirit of the evolving Defence/industry partnership."

RADM Shackleton said the EWGs' role is to coordinate industry matters in their respective environments and to report to the CDAF proper on EWG industry matters.

He said a total of 14 companies, including wholly-owned small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) had been selected for membership of a pool of CDAF invitees from which seven firms will be invited to attend each CDAF meeting.

"At our first meeting for 1999, we decided to expose Defence's capability proposals to industry at an early stage, and to invite industry interaction and feedback where appropriate," RADM Shackleton said.

"We also agreed that the EWGs will try to identify projects for collaborative export development."

Further information:

Rear Admiral David Shackleton (02) 6265 2332
Tony Warner (Secretary CDAF) (02) 6265 6361

 

Issued by the Defence Public Affairs Organisation, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600

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