Australia has joined Japan and the United States in a new trilateral Defence Science and Technology agreement to strengthen the testing and certification of advanced composite aircraft materials.
Signed in March, the project arrangement on Virtual Structural Testing for Composite Aircraft focuses on improving understanding of how damage initiates and propagates in composite materials widely used in modern military aircraft.
Under the arrangement, the three nations will jointly generate and share experimental test data and compare modelling outcomes using specialised software developed in the US.
The work is intended to improve the accuracy and reliability of predictive tools used during aircraft development, certification and sustainment.
Deputy Chief Defence Scientist Carolyn Patteson said the project addressed a critical challenge for current and future air platforms that relied heavily on composite structures.
"Composite materials are fundamental to modern advanced aircraft design, and understanding how damage initiates and grows is critical to safety and resilience," Dr Patteson said.
"Improved modelling capability is an element of digital engineering that can reduce technical risk, shorten development timelines and inform more rapid certification and sustainment decisions."
This collaboration is the inaugural project signed under the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Arrangement between the US, Australia and Japan.
This project provides a mechanism for more rapid initiation and implementation of joint research efforts focused on future capability needs.
Collaboration on advanced defence technologies with regional partners underpins deterrence and ensures allied forces remain interoperable and ready.
