AUSTRALIAN+NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE DIRECTORY 2026 www.defence.directory THE NATION BUILD 24 DRIVING AUSTRALIAN SOVEREIGN INNOVATION AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH In the world of advanced manufacturing, creating one-off prototypes for others is not just a service — it is a calling. At Amiga Engineering, we thrive on being the enabler, the partner that helps innovators get their ideas off the ground. We seek out the most complex components, the most challenging engineering problems, and bring to Australia the global technology needed to remain competitive with Europe, the United States, and Asia. Our mission has always been to operate where research and manufacturing meet. Sometimes we work like a university lab, developing experimental systems. Other times, we take what has been proven in academia and turn it into commercial reality. But small-scale, stop-start R&D is not enough to sustain the advanced capability we have built. Long-term, sustained programs are essential to justify continual investment in technology, talent, and infrastructure. To maintain momentum, we have developed home-grown products that apply our expertise to realworld needs. The most significant is our high-speed target drone, designed to simulate incoming threats at Mach 2–2.3, with an apogee of 12 km and a range of 100 km. Fully engineered in simulation, it is now moving into manufacturing, with prototypes on the near horizon. Supporting this program is a major strategic investment — the creation of a sovereign Australian facility to manufacture solid fuel rocket motors (SFRM) in the 70–500 kg range, with specific impulse capacities from 196,000 to 800,000 ISP. This capability will not only serve our drones but provide propulsion for a wide range of defence and aerospace platforms. The facility will launch with around 15 employees, scaling to 30 within 12 months and approximately 60 within three years. Our workforce plan spans aerospace, chemical, and mechatronics/electronics engineers, PhD students, tradespeople for jigs, fixtures, and production lines, explosive specialists, and a range of admin and management roles. Our collaborative model will draw on leading Australian universities — RMIT, Deakin, Swinburne, University of Melbourne, and UNSW — along with domestic suppliers including casting and forging companies, chemical manufacturers, material producers, electronics manufacturers, and small board assemblers. This ensures that Australian innovation is conceived, developed, and manufactured entirely onshore. Our journey has been shaped by strategic partnerships. Work with Gilmour Space Technologies and Hypersonix has deepened our propulsion expertise, while engagement with satellite propulsion companies such as Valiant Space has broadened our reach into orbital systems. In parallel, we are integrating payload technologies including cameras, gimbals, radar, denied GPS tracking, and electronic warfare systems. This interconnected network is exactly what sovereign capability demands — an ecosystem of domestic suppliers and research institutions aligned towards the same goal: reducing reliance on offshore sources and keeping critical technologies under Australian control. Amiga Engineering has also delivered breakthroughs in lightweight titanium armour with microstructural features tailored for maximum ballistic performance. This innovation addresses supply chain vulnerabilities caused by export restrictions on ballistic-grade titanium. Our mastery of additive manufacturing techniques allows us to produce complex geometries and other defence-critical parts unachievable through traditional manufacturing. Our suppressor program, built on in-house metal 3D printing, is another example of local ingenuity. Over more than 300 design iterations, we created a system that reduces sound, lowers gas emissions, meets MIL-SPEC, and safeguards operators’ wellbeing — a niche capability elevated to worldclass standards. Hypersonics also holds significant promise. With our partners, we see a future where sovereign capability in hypersonic platforms aligns with global supply chains, placing Australia as a trusted contributor of high-value components. Whether it’s propulsion, leading-edge protection, or structural assemblies, Amiga Engineering is ready to deliver. Government policy and procurement behaviours remain critical to sustaining sovereign capability. While substantial federal funding has flowed offshore to foreign primes, our aim is to capture that value locally — directing it to Australian innovators, engineers, and suppliers ready to deliver. Long-term Defence and government engagement is essential to avoid capability gaps and maintain Australia’s competitive edge. The road to building sovereign capability is neither short nor easy. It requires navigating rapid technological change and the commercial realities of sustaining high-risk, high-value manufacturing. At Amiga Engineering, we are committed to that path. We will continue to be the enabler for others’ innovation while building our own platforms to keep Australia competitive and secure. Our high-speed target drone and SFRM facility are part of a broader vision where sovereign manufacturing is robust, connected, and resilient. Innovation is not just about invention — it’s about building an ecosystem that sustains and grows it into operational capability. That is the Amiga Engineering mission. As we move through 2025 and beyond, that mission has never been more important. Michael Bourchier Managing Director Amiga Engineering
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