ADF cyber specialists have joined counterparts from the United States and New Zealand to test new defensive cyber mission systems designed to counter threats across any network.
Around 60 personnel from the three nations participated in the evaluation of three prototype Joint Cyber Hunt Kits in Philadelphia. The kits are intended to be highly portable, deployed by a nine-person team anywhere in the world, and capable of connecting to any network to provide real-time cyber defence.
The United States Naval Information Warfare Centre (NIWC), in support of the US Defence Innovation Unit, hosted the activity with NIWC staff leading the trials.
The collaboration was conducted under the AUKUS agreement to accelerate the development of advanced military technologies, with about a dozen experienced cyber warfare specialists performing the tests.
Five ADF personnel and one member of the New Zealand Defence Force attended to assess how the capability could be integrated into their respective forces.
ADF team lead Major Craig Skinner, of the Space and Cyber Capabilities Division, said the collaboration showed the importance of interoperability among AUKUS partners.
"Participating in the testing of the Joint Cyber Hunt Kit shows Defence is keeping technological pace with our Five Eyes partners," Major Skinner said.
"These systems represent a significant uplift in capability, focused on defeating adversaries in cyberspace in real-time and addressing the evolving threats in the cyber domain."
The United States is expected to purchase the first systems by the end of this year.
Cyber is one of six advanced capabilities identified in the National Defence Strategy, and a key capability area of AUKUS Pillar II.
