Defence innovation rarely emerges from a single lab, team or organisation. It is created at the intersection of operational need, scientific curiosity and industrial capability. When government, academia and industry work together, innovation accelerates - transforming ideas into real-world capability.
This philosophy sits at the heart of the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research (ADSTAR) Summit, to be hosted by Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) in Adelaide from August 4 to 6, where 'Integrated Ecosystem' is one of four key themes.
An example that clearly illustrates this concept is a recent collaboration testing approaches to how the Royal Australian Air Force could train its air battle managers.
Air battle managers are the conductors of the skies. Operating in complex command-and-control environments, they integrate information from advanced sensors, guide aircraft and coordinate missions in fast-moving and high-pressure situations. Their ability to maintain situational awareness and make rapid, accurate decisions can be decisive in securing operational advantage.
Defence scientists from DSTG, partnering with Macquarie University and Australian modelling and simulation company PLEXSYS, have been exploring how artificial intelligence could enhance training outcomes and potentially add another tool to the ways air battle managers are trained.
Bringing together Defence's deep operational understanding and academic expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems, they investigated whether AI agents could replicate the behaviour of expert human operators well enough to act as realistic role players in air battle management training.
The AI agents were integrated into PLEXSYS's Advanced Simulation Combat Operations Trainer (ASCOT 7) software, a collaboration linking research innovation with an industry-grade training system. The collaboration is a clear example of the integrated ecosystem in motion - ideas flowing from Defence need, through academic research, into potential capability.
"We went from looking at whether we could train AI agents to replicate the behaviour of expert operators to considering how to utilise the huge increase in the capability of large-language models to help the AI system communicate naturally with the trainees," said Defence scientist Simon Hosking.
'To see our research transition from the lab to Defence industry is a really proud thing to have achieved.'
To ensure authenticity, researchers immersed themselves in the operational environment. Teams observed experienced human operators working in simulated command-and-control settings, studying how they communicated, prioritised information and made decisions under pressure. The scientists then refined the AI to mirror the behaviour, communication styles and decision-making patterns of high-performing teams.
That work was put to the test during trials.
Feedback from participants revealed they could not reliably distinguish between human role players and AI agents - an indicator of the system's fidelity and effectiveness.
For Dr Hosking, the journey highlighted the importance of integration across the ecosystem.
"To see our research transition from the lab to Defence industry is a really proud thing to have achieved," he said.
This success did not occur overnight. It was enabled by sustained investment and coordination across multiple Defence innovation pathways, including funding from DSTG, the Next Generation Technologies Fund and the Centre for Advanced Defence Research in Robotics and Autonomous Systems.
Most recently, the work has been extended under the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator through the Emerging and Disruptive Technologies - Decision Advantage program, with a contract valued at more than $3 million. This extension is intended to further mature the capability and align it with Defence priorities.
The story of AI-enabled air battle management training reflects the essence of an integrated ecosystem. Defence set the operational challenge. Academia delivered cutting-edge research. Industry transformed that research into a potentially deployable solution. Government investment connected critical stages.
As ADSTAR brings together leaders from Defence, government, academia and industry, this example illustrates how innovation is strongest when ideas, expertise and partnerships are aligned - and when ecosystems, not organisations, are the engines of capability.
Early-bird registrations for ADSTAR close May 29. Register to attend here.
