ECA Group, UGL establish Australian team to pursue SEA 1905

International defence robotics and mine countermeasures leader ECA Group has joined forces with UGL, a member of the CIMIC Group and one of Australia’s biggest multi-disciplined engineering companies, to cement its permanent operations in Australia.

Headquartered in France, ECA Group is renowned for its expertise in robotics, automated systems, simulation and industrial processes and is an invited bidder for the RAN’s Project SEA 1905 Tranche 1.

The partnership will significantly bolster Australia’s sovereign defence capability and create an Australian hub for ECA Group’s world leading mine countermeasures, military survey, (MCM/MS) and autonomous system technologies, says ECA Group.

The partnership with UGL adds immediate size and scale to the innovative team ECA Group has put together to enhance its operations and drive its plans for long-term growth in Australia.

ECA Group has also established partnerships with leading Australian SMEs Acacia Systems, Solutions from Silicon (SfS) and Total Marine Technologies (TMT) to inject local technology into its MCM/MS solution and facilitate the transfer of knowledge into the Australian Defence industry.

The CEO of ECA Group, Dominique Giannoni, said the company had launched a new Australian subsidiary, ECA Robotics Australia (ERA), and would train Australian personnel to operate and sustain its technologies. As part of the company’s drive to remain at the forefront of technology and innovation, the group is also building partnerships with universities and other research organisations, to promote and assist in the development of an Australian research capability to evolve the robotic MCM/MS systems.

UGL is one of Australia’s biggest integrated prime contractors with more than 7000 employees and operations around the country. The company is a long-term partner of Defence and is responsible for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of some of Australia’s biggest infrastructure assets in rail, road, telecommunications and oil and gas.

UGL Managing Director Doug Moss said: “As primary support partner, UGL’s nationwide operations and established supply chain of more than 4,300 Australian companies are available to ensure sovereignty and long-term sustainment support for ECA Group’s world class technologies.

“Together, we provide the people, processes, systems and technologies needed to safely deliver effective support and meet stringent ASDEFCON contracting requirements.”

ECA Group’s consortium includes:

Acacia Systems – a leading South Australian-based defence software and systems engineering company specialising in mission systems software, cross platform sensor fusion, automatic target detection, localisation, and data analytics. ECA Group will transfer the required knowhow to enable Acacia to undertake maintenance of its core UMISOFT Mission Management software.

Solutions from Silicon (SfS)  — NSW-based MCM expert and developers of the MINTACS mine warfare tactical command software which is currently in service with navies around the world including Australia, the UK, Sweden, New Zealand and Thailand. MINTACS has been successfully integrated into ECA Group’s recent UMISOFT MCM upgrade for the Latvian Navy.

Total Marine Technology (TMT) – WA-based underwater robotics and ultra-deep water technology specialists with deepwater ROV capability including support and maintenance services.