DSTO News

Defence nutrition project to create new jobs in Scottsdale

Date: 14 May, 2012

Media Release Number:

Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Warren Snowdon, Regional Development Minister Simon Crean and Member for Bass Geoff Lyons today joined the Premier of Tasmania Lara Giddings to green light an $18.7 million project to redevelop the nutrition research facility at DSTO Scottsdale.

Mr Snowdon said the project will create up to 30 new jobs in a highly specialised industry.

"Between 20 and 30 new jobs will be created during the construction phase of the project and, for the most part, subcontractors from north eastern Tasmania will be employed on the construction works,� Mr Snowdon said.

�The works include the redevelopment of food technology facilities, upgrades to existing chemistry and nutrition laboratories and improvements to site infrastructure and working areas.

�The redevelopment will result in a modern food science facility equipped to meet the future nutritional needs of ADF personnel and support their performance in highly demanding operational environments.�

The redeveloped Scottsdale site is part of an initiative to establish a new Centre of Food Innovation in which the University of Tasmania and the CSIRO are partnering with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).

Mr Crean said the announcement built on the $20 million announced as part of the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to create jobs and diversify the state�s economy.

�Since February, Premier Giddings and I, along with our federal and state Labor Parliamentary colleagues and members of my Ministerial Advisory Council on Regional Australia have announced 10 projects, including investment in viticulture and ecotourism, dairy, aquaculture, berry fruit and an innovative state-wide data sensor network, SenseT,� Mr Crean said.

�The 10 projects leverage private sector investment and have the potential to create more than 4000 jobs.

�Just last month I was here at the DSTO facility in Scottsdale with Economic Development Minister David O�Byrne and Mr Lyons to announce $150,000, matched by the University of Tasmania (UTAS) for a business plan to develop commercial opportunities for the proposed Centre for Food Innovation.

�The business plan will identify how this latest investment, as well as the partnership in the Centre for Food Innovation can leverage further investment and create more long-jobs in the broader community.�

Premier Giddings said the centre will focus on high-tech nutrition and survival foods for high performance athletes and defence personnel.

�The proposed Centre for Food Innovation, along with the redevelopment announced today, demonstrate the Commonwealth Government�s commitment to maintaining this important facility in Scottsdale,� Ms Giddings said.

�These are more examples of the State and Federal Governments working together to grow jobs in regional Tasmania.

�We know that the North East region has been particularly hard hit in recent years with the downturn in the forest industry and the closure of vegetable processing facilities.

�I believe this region has a bright future ahead thanks to projects such as this one and through our investments in irrigation infrastructure, the National Broadband Network and the $400 million Musselroe wind farm.�

Member for Bass Geoff Lyons said the project would provide a boost to the local economy.

�It will build on Tasmania�s expertise in food processing and agriculture and generate economic benefits for the region," Mr Lyons said.

Construction works will begin this year with an expected completion date in late 2014. The contract for the project has been awarded to Australian company Cockram Constructions.

Australia hosts NATO camouflage trial

Date: 13 April, 2012

Media Release Number:

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is participating in an international trial in Queensland to test the effectiveness of camouflage uniforms in hot and humid conditions, the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, announced today.

The Army Jungle Training Centre in Tully was selected for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) camouflage field trial because of its unique geography and natural tropical conditions. Ten volunteers from Army�s 3rd Brigade participated in the trial testing trial camouflage suits in a variety of environmental conditions.

�This is a significant activity to be hosted in Australia with participation from Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland,� Mr Snowdon said.

�The trial will also contribute to the ADF�s ongoing program to enhance the protection of Australian soldiers. It will improve our understanding of detection by modern sensors that can �see� in the ultraviolet, visual, infrared, and radar bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.�

�This multi-spectral protection has been successfully applied to military vehicles and weapon systems and this trial presents an opportunity to test the same level of protection in the clothing of dismounted soldiers to reduce their chance of detection.�

Between 15 and 18 camouflage uniforms, including in-service and experimental clothing items, were tested. DSTO will have access to and share in a significant body of information, collective knowledge, methodologies, systems and reports that NATO members use to assess camouflage uniform effectiveness in multi-spectral wavebands.

�Importantly, the trial will provide valuable data to better inform the ADF Diggerworks program in current and future camouflage design concepts and assessment methods,� Mr Snowdon said.

NATO researchers are using multi-spectral image recording and panoramic photography techniques to measure the effectiveness of camouflage uniforms in ultraviolet, visual, infrared and thermal spectrum for the hot and humid jungle environment. The post-trial assessment activities will involve a large number of soldiers in several NATO countries and Australia.

Media contacts:

Lidija Ivanovski (Minister�s office) 02 6277 7820 or 0407108 935
Stephen D�Arcy (DSTO) 03 9626 7128 or 0419 991 909
Defence Media Operations: 02 6127 1999

Testing the effectiveness of camouflage

Date: 4 April, 2012

Camouflage patterns for military uniforms have been developed to trick the human eye so that soldiers are indistinguishable from the background, whether desert, sky or woodland.

In modern warfare, a growing number of sensors can �see� in parts of the spectrum where people cannot.

Designing camouflage for a wide variety of terrains, and testing it to see how effective patterns are across the visual, ultraviolet, infrared and radar bands of the electromagnetic spectrum is therefore crucial to increase survivability of service personnel.

For two weeks in March, DSTO participated in an international trial in far north Queensland to test the effectiveness of up to 18 types of current and experimental camouflage uniforms in hot and humid conditions.

Chief of DSTO�s Human Protection and Performance Division Simon Oldfield said seven members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Australia took part in the trial.

�The trial, and our membership of the NATO task group looking at camouflage, enables Australia to have access to knowledge, tools and methodologies that will inform future camouflage requirements,� Dr Oldfield said.

�We will also be able to gather a more realistic threat assessment of hot and humid environments that will help us develop assessment methods for camouflage.�

Researchers used multispectral image recording and panoramic photography techniques to measure camouflage effectiveness during the trial.

Ten volunteers from the Australian Army�s 3rd Brigade modelled the uniforms for the trial which took place at the Army Jungle Training Centre in Tully.

Land Warfare Conference 2012: Call for papers

Date: 2 April, 2012

The Land Warfare Conference is a major event for users, providers, academics, designers and manufacturers to meet, present, share and exchange new visionary ideas on Land Systems.

In 2012, the Land Warfare Conference will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne from 29 October until 2 November.

Call for papers

Authors are invited to submit a 300 word abstract under the broad conference theme: �Potent Land Force for a Joint Maritime Strategy�.

Authors have the option of selecting a presentation (20 minutes) or a poster. Following the review of abstracts, authors of accepted presentations will have the option of submitting a full paper that will be published in the Conference proceedings. The abstract must be submitted via the Abstract Submission Template form to lwcabstracts@dsto.defence.gov.au. The date for submission has been extended to 21 May 2012.

Please refer to the Call for Papers flyer for other topics for submission.

Key Dates

Deadline for abstract submission: May 21, 2012
Selected authors notified: May 2012
Deadline for submission of papers: August 30, 2012

For further information please refer to the Land Warfare Conference 2012 page of the DSTO website.

You can also contact the Land Warfare Conference Support Office:

DSTO PO Box 1500, Edinburgh SA 5111
08 7389 5455 (telephone)
08 7389 5196 (fax)
lwcc@dsto.defence.gov.au

For further information, contact lwcc@dsto.defence.gov.au

DSTO cavitation research features on Catalyst

Date: 30 March, 2012

Tiny bubbles produced by moving water can bring down dam walls, eat away at ship hulls and make submarines noisy.

DSTO is involved in a collaborative research program with the Australian Maritime College that aims to find ways the Navy can reduce this damage.

ABC Television�s Catalyst program travelled to Launceston to see how the water version of a wind tunnel is being used in the study of this problem.

In the segment, Dr Brendon Anderson, from DSTO�s Maritime Platform Division, explains some of the research and some of the findings which point to an unusual solution.

You can now see the Catalyst episode it in full on ABC iView.

Please note: The cavitation segment begins at around half way through the program (at the 12:40 mark).