UK and Australia boost radar technology and industry cooperation as Defence Minister visits Indo-Pacific partners

August 12, 2026

The UK and Australia are boosting cooperation on radar technology, as Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP kicks off a visit to Indo-Pacific partners this week.

New signing will see UK and Australian firms work together on cutting-edge radar systems, boosting growth across both countries’ defence industries.
Work to build on UK-Australia defence partnership, already supporting tens of thousands of jobs in both countries through AUKUS.
Comes as Minister Luke Pollard kicks off a visit to Australia and New Zealand to strengthen defence and industrial partnerships.

The statement of intent involving QinetiQ and CEA Technologies, signed today in Canberra, will see both UK and Australian governments and industry work together on advanced radar systems, known as Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology.

The work builds on the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) agreement reached in June and will strengthen supply chains and open export opportunities for both nations’ defence industries. This advanced technology is supplied to the Australian Armed Forces and allows the UK Armed Forces to keep pace with the evolving operational environment.

At CEA Technologies, Minister Pollard and Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy welcomed the agreement and met with staff advancing radar technology.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said:

This radar agreement shows what our partnership with Australia delivers in practice: industry stepping up, technology for our Armed Forces, and trust between our nations deepening.

Working in lockstep with Australia we can drive jobs and growth while reinforcing our collective security.

Steve Wadey, Group Chief Executive Officer, QinetiQ, said:

QinetiQ’s unique expertise positions us as a strategic and trusted partner to the UK MOD and its allies. Current conflicts remind us of the importance of air defences which are increasingly under pressure and QinetiQ is proud to play a key role in bringing this vital technology to the UK.

The signing forms part of a week-long visit by Minister Pollard to Australia and New Zealand, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to two of its closest defence partners in the Indo-Pacific.

In Canberra, the Minister also met the Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, to strengthen UK-Australia cooperation on critical minerals, and the interim National Armaments Director, Nadine Williams, to advance shared defence capability and industrial collaboration.