Silentium Defence joins Lockheed Martin’s Global Industry Mentor Program

Adelaide-based SME and passive surveillance specialist Silentium Defence has become only the second company outside the USA to embark on Lockheed Martin’s Mentor Protégé Program (MPP).

 Silentium Defence will participate in an intensive 12-month mentoring program gaining access to Lockheed Martin’s leading subject matter experts across Australia and the US. During the program, it will receive extensive business development coaching, along with strategies and tools to accelerate their business growth and maturation across ethics, contracting, quality, cyber security and understanding ITAR.

The company’s Chief Technology Officer, Simon Palumbo welcomed the opportunity to join Lockheed Martin’s mentor program” “We are executing on a ten-year technology roadmap that will see Silentium passive radars integrated into the evolving doctrine of how Defence achieves situational awareness, locally and globally,” he said.

In the USA participation in the MPP, which was launched in 1990, is funded by the federal government. However, Lockheed Martin Australia’s Office of Australian Industrial Participation (AOIP) will sponsor Silentium Defence’s participation in the program.

Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand Chief Executive Warren McDonald congratulated Silentium Defence on being hand-picked to participate in the global mentoring opportunity.

“Lockheed Martin Australia actively identifies and supports homegrown ‘best of breed’ companies to join our global supply chains to bolster Australia’s Defence industry’s sovereign industrial capability, grow the local workforce as well as help support companies to compete on the international stage.”

“A robust, resilient and internationally competitive Defence industry is vital to Australia’s security and economic interests, and we are proud to support this national endeavour,” Mr McDonald said. “Key to achieving that mission is a deep understanding of the mechanisms for scale, engagement, and export into priority international markets.”

“Passive radar is at a critical junction for Defence, recognised as a sovereign industrial capability priority,” said Simon Palumbo. “All three Services have demonstrated the value of passive radar, and now is the time to expedite delivery into the hands of the people who can use it the most, our ADF and its allies.”

Lockheed Martin Australia’s Head of Industrial Development, Christopher Hess, highlighted that, “In parallel to the mentoring program, Lockheed Martin Australia’s OAIP leads a national strategy to match world-class solutions with business opportunities globally.

“We are proud to have provided unprecedented opportunities to Australian industry meeting with over 3,500 companies, introducing some 400 new companies to the Defence industry space as well as facilitating over 100+ export contracts since 2012.” He said, “The MPP is our flagship training program among many that help to grow Australia’s sovereign industrial capability, nurture innovation, and take Australia to the world.”