Counter-UAS in Australia: EOS to further develop R400 Slinger under Mission Syracuse

The Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has been selected as industry partner for Mission Syracuse. The programme was initiated by the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA); its purpose is to accelerate the development of new counter-UAS capabilities, i.e. for defeating unmanned aerial systems (UAS), for the Australian armed forces. The contract is worth 5.7 million Australian dollars (around 3.2 million euros).

At its core, the work concerns the further development of the R400 Slinger CUAS. The remotely operated weapon system is aimed at small and medium-sized drones and combines a laser-guided rocket with a weapon station. In future, both manufacturing and maintenance are to take place entirely in Australia.

The threat posed by drones is evolving rapidly. Mission Syracuse enables us to deliver capabilities within a timeframe that matches operational requirements— Lee Kormany, Executive Vice President Defence Systems Australia at EOS

The programme demonstrates our ability to develop quickly, to keep evolving solutions and to deliver systems that meet the demands of the modern battlefield.— Lee Kormany

Kormany also emphasised how closely industry and the armed forces work together.

We are grateful for the trust placed in us by ASCA. It is precisely this partnership that makes it possible to deliver sovereign, world-class capabilities exactly when they are needed.— Lee Kormany

Counter-UAS made in Australia

For EOS, the project is also a further step in expanding Australia's defence industry. Almost all of the company's remote weapon stations are developed and built entirely in the country. The aim is to strengthen operational independence, secure supply chains and, in the long term, build up key national competencies in drone defence.

Findings from Mission Syracuse are also to feed into other projects of the Australian armed forces in future and be used on different platforms.