23 June 2025 – SRC Aus has formed a strategic partnership with Defence Trailblazer to accelerate the commercialisation of electronic warfare capability through a Defence Trailblazer R&D project, the Trailblazer Electronic Warfare Support System (TESS), with a focus on the development of a future defence-ready workforce.
Defence Trailblazer aims to strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capabilities through the commercialisation of new technologies and solutions, while also focusing on the development of specialised knowledge and skills for the current and future workforce to meet the needs of Defence. SRC Aus has engaged with multiple Defence Trailblazer programs to expand its capabilities across R&D, staff mobility and student workforce across the overarching TESS project.
“Our mandate is to accelerate capability and drive the job-ready skills of the future through strong engagement with industry, leveraging local university innovation talent and new entrants to the defence sector,” said Defence Trailblazer Executive Director, Dr Sanjay Mazumdar.
“We are so pleased SRC Aus is seizing the opportunity to access our full suite of programs to accelerate sovereign defence capability and prepare a future-ready defence workforce, this is exactly what the Defence Trailblazer program is all about!”
Technology Development & Acceleration R&D project
Driven by the motto Redefining Possible®, SRC Aus works closely with the Australian Government to solve crucial electronic warfare (EW) challenges, developing next-generation solutions for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and its allies. “The overarching goal of the TESS project is to address evolving real-world challenges in the spectrum warfare battle space,” said Richard Button, SRC Aus Technical Director.
With funding from the Defence Trailblazer’s Technology Development & Acceleration portfolio, SRC Aus have developed a working prototype of TESS for ADF operators. SRC Aus invested substantially in the project, applying research to develop a Machine Learning-enabled adaptive sensor, and an advanced radar signal processing system. The company is now building a compact, transportable version of the system for field test and military environment demonstrations.
“We aim to develop new methods for EW support, providing richer layers of sensor data and information for signal characterisation, identification and behaviour prediction,” said Mr Button. “We are currently implementing working artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to the problem of operating in a complex contested and congested signal space.”
Michael List, SRC Aus Director of Strategy and Special Projects added: “TESS represents a paradigm shift—trusted, explainable AI designed with future targeting in mind. Unlike opaque black-box systems, TESS delivers transparency that aligns with ADF Rules of Engagement. The more data it ingests, the smarter and more adaptive it becomes. Simply put, it neutralises all the advantages of modern radar systems.”
TESS project team, left to right: Sebastian Cocks (Machine Learning graduate, SRC Aus), Dr Vichet Duk (Senior Radar Research Engineer, SRC Aus), Richard Button (Technical Director, SRC Aus), Salvador Dreo (Lead – Machine Learning Engineer, SRC Aus), Dr Raja Abdullah (Senior Research Fellow, SRC Aus/University of Adelaide).
Industry Research Program and Student Placements
Through the partnership, SRC Aus is sponsoring a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) student for two years under the Defence Trailblazer Industry Research Program. The scholarship provides the graduate student at the University of Adelaide with the opportunity to work on real-world applied machine learning defence challenges, developed in consultation with industry and leading academics.
University of Adelaide graduate student Stacey Heng
The program offers University of Adelaide or UNSW Higher Degree by Research students a $50k per annum scholarship (pro-rata), academic supervision, industry mentorship and an on-site internship to enhance the student’s research experience and help deepen their knowledge and expertise, while also adding expertise and capability to the industry partner.
SRC Aus also supported University of Adelaide graduate Stacey Heng in two part-time internships over an eight-month period through the Defence Trailblazer Student Placements & Projects Program. A Space Science and Astrophysics graduate undertaking further studies in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, Stacey applied her skills and knowledge to support the TESS project during her internship, working on the engineering development, testing, and systems evaluation.
Staff Mobility Program
To provide senior level expertise and support to the TESS project, SRC Aus is participating in Defence Trailblazer’s Staff Mobility Program, enabling University of Adelaide Research Fellow Dr. Raja Abdullah from the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering to take part in a university secondment that has embedded him at SRC Aus for 22 months.
“Participating in the Staff Mobility Program with SRC Aus has been a transformative experience for me,” said Dr Abdullah. “Working alongside the SRC Aus experts and experienced engineers in their cutting-edge facilities has significantly enhanced my expertise in developing electronic systems that meet rigorous military standards.
“This powerful partnership between industry and academia produces critical defence outcomes and has laid a strong foundation for my future contributions in this field.”
The partnership showcases how Defence Trailblazer’s programs are integrating defence industry and academia to unprecedented levels. “It exemplifies how the Trailblazer Program is supporting the Defence Industry Development Strategy,” said Defence Trailblazer Project Manager Richard Williamson. “Currently no single other institution provides the level of targeted programs and initiatives to grow, support and engage with Australian defence industry.”
For more information, visit the SRC Aus website.
Dr Vichet Duk and Dr Raja Abdullah, pictured with receiver components.
About the Defence Trailblazer: Defence Trailblazer is a collaborative partnership between the University of Adelaide and UNSW supported by the Department of Education and over 95 industry partners. Defence Trailblazer is dedicated to advancing Australia’s defence capabilities through innovative research and strategic partnerships. By collaborating with industry, academia, and government, we aim to develop and commercialise breakthrough technologies that address critical national security challenges.
Contact Information: For media inquiries, please contact: Ilsa Stuart, Senior Partnerships Manager, istuart@dtb.solutions
About SRC Aus: SRC Aus Pty Ltd solves crucial Electronic Warfare (EW) challenges, applying 60 years of experience to deliver solutions to the Australian market. SRC Aus employs Australian engineers in both Adelaide and Canberra, supported by expertise from its parent company, SRC, Inc., in the United States. Together, SRC, Inc. and SRC Aus employ U.S. and Australian EW experts who are currently developing next-generation solutions for the ADF and its allies – redefining possible® for the warfighter.
Contact Information: For media inquiries, please contact: Richard Button, SRC Aus Technical Director, rbutton@srcaus.com.au
