Australia's $7B Drone Defense Push

0:00It's April 21st. Welcome to Sydney News Today, powered by AI. Australia is dropping $7 billion over the next 10 years on counter drone tech, more than doubling the $3 billion forecast at just 2 years back. Defense Minister Pat Conroy announced this push to gear up the Australian Defense Force against drone threats, spotlighting homegrown gear like a high-energy laser that tracks objects as tiny as a 10 cent piece. Earlier this week in Melbourne, Conroy kicked off the next phase of mission Syracuse, funneling $30 million to local firms, aim defense, and SYPAC systems. AIM's fractal laser zaps drones flying over 100 kilometers per hour and burns through steel, while SYP-AQ's Corvo Strike Quadcopter hunts down. Bigger threats like those Iranians Shaheed drones. Wars in Ukraine and Iran have shown how drones rule modern battlefields, forcing militaries to waste $3 million missiles on cheap. $70,000 targets. SYPAC already

1:02made waves with lightweight cardboard drones helping Ukraine and now this funding aims for smarter, cheaper defenses. These tools promise civilian perks too, like shielding big events from the football grand final to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics with contracts mandating dual use tech. On top of that, 15 billion more heads to uncrewed systems like the Ghost Shark sub and Ghost Bat Aircraft. Critics like Analysts Michael Schubridge call the plan thin, saying it won't deliver the thousands of affordable drones and counters the ADF truly. Needs. Still, this investment bets big on Aussie ingenuity to stay ahead in the drone game.