Australian Army to Introduce Next-Gen Innovaero Owl Loitering Munition.

The Australian Army is set to deploy the "Owl" loitering munition, an advanced electric-powered drone capable of covering nearly 200 kilometers or loitering in the air for 30 minutes with a lethal payload, by the end of this year.
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Innovaero Next-Gen "Owl" Loitering Munition (Picture source: Innovaero)

Developed by Western Australia-based Innovaero and its subsidiary Boeing Insitu Pacific, the Owl is currently undergoing testing with an unspecified special operations unit of the Australian Army. This one-way loitering munition (OWL) has been in development since 2022 and is designed to integrate with other drones acquired by the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

A government tender document reveals that Innovaero, partly owned by BAE Systems Australia, has secured over $5.3 million in defense contracts since May 2022 to design, develop, build, and test the device. The increasing importance of armed drones was highlighted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting criticism from military experts about Australia's urgency in acquiring such lethal technology.

A Defence spokesperson, while refusing to comment specifically on Innovaero's Owl, confirmed to ABC that "the loitering munition capability will be introduced this calendar year." In line with the National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program, the Defence Department continues to test maritime, land, and air platforms with both Australian and foreign suppliers to ensure the ADF can deploy the latest technologies and maximize its advantage.

The introduction of loitering munitions across most combat units of the Australian Army will be guided by the outcomes of these trials.

While the defense industry is pleased with the progress of Innovaero's Owl, it warns of significant delays in other critical innovation programs due to a lack of funding for advancing contracts. "The services have very little funding, so they cannot finance these small programs and meet the long-term needs of ships and aircraft," said a senior official to ABC, speaking anonymously.

It appears that a decision has been made to prioritize large, expensive, long-term projects—small, inexpensive, and immediate capabilities are not funded, added the industry source.