Category: News

Melbourne-based Ascent Vision Technologies Australia (AVTA), a CACI Company, is proud to continue its sponsorship of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Drone Racing Association. This partnership reflects AVT Australia’s commitment to advancing STEM education, fostering innovation, and supporting Australia’s sovereign industrial capability.

ADF Drone Racing, formed in 2017, represents the Navy, Army, and Air Force’s top drone pilots in national and international competitions. Beyond the racetrack, the program champions teamwork, sportsmanship, and cutting-edge technology to inspire young Australians to explore STEM careers and innovative drone technologies.

In the past year, ongoing sponsorships have enabled ADF Drone Racing to achieve new milestones, including being recognised as a finalist in the 2024 AAUS Industry Champion Awards for Social Impact and conducting numerous events, including the Australian Army Cadet Outback STEM Roadshow.

“The Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team is an exemplar initiative that drives individuals to pursue a career in STEM,” said Evert van Schuppen, the Director of Operations at AVT Australia. “AVT Australia is a proud partner of the program and is always excited to see the team in action.”

Wing Commander Keirin Joyce, President of the ADF Drone Racing Association, added “We can’t do our amazing STEM outreach and inspiration without the help of our values aligned sponsors.”

Together, AVT Australia and the ADF Drone Racing association are driving innovation and inspiring the next generation of leaders in STEM.

AVT Australia is a leading supplier of lightweight, gyro-stabilised imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and target acquisition operations. Recognised for expertise in advanced engineering services, AVT Australia is a trusted supplier of imaging solutions for Australian defence customers and international customers, with systems supporting operations in over 50 countries.

ADF Drone Racing showcases the skills of the ADF’s fastest drone pilots and promotes innovation, technical expertise, and the strategic use of uncrewed aerial systems. Through competition, education, and outreach, the association inspires a passion for STEM and fosters future leaders in aviation and technology.

You can learn more about AVT Australia by visiting www.ascentvision.com.au or by contacting sales@ascentvision.com.au. You can learn more about ADF Drone Racing by visiting https://www.facebook.com/AUADRT/ or by contacting ausadra@gmail.com.

AVT Australia is proud to announce the launch of the CM102, a two-axis gyro-stabilised electro-optical (EO) and long-range infrared (LWIR) imaging system. Designed to meet the evolving needs of ISR applications, the CM102 offers high-quality imagery in a lightweight, IP65-rated payload.

 The CM102 stands out in the market with its rugged and reliable design, tailored to endure the harsh environments that Group 1 and 2 sUAS operate in. Unlike current offerings that compromise on durability for cost, the CM102 is engineered to meet the stringent demands of defence applications, ensuring reliable performance in challenging conditions.

With best-in-class HD Daylight and LWIR performance, the CM102 redefines expectations in a sub-900g payload. It comes equipped with advanced onboard features such as Object Detection and Recognition and fully integrated video processing and encoding, making it the ideal choice for ISR missions that require a resilient and versatile imaging system.

“Global demand for reliable, high resolution ISR payloads is rapidly growing, and AVT Australia is listening. We are thrilled to launch our CM102, a high definition LWIR gyro-stabilised gimbal,” said Evert van Schuppen, Director of Operations at AVT Australia. “Leveraging our core technology from the CM62, the CM102 offers all the cornerstone features our customers have come to expect in small ISR gimbals.”

AVT Australia is a leading supplier of lightweight, gyro-stabilised imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and target acquisition operations. Recognised for expertise in advanced engineering services, AVT Australia is a trusted supplier of imaging solutions for Australian defence customers and international customers, with systems supporting operations in over 50 countries.

You can learn more about the CM102 by visiting www.ascentvision.com.au/cm102 or by contacting sales@ascentvision.com.au.

AVT Australia is proud to announce the launch of the CM41, a single-axis gyro-stabilised electro-optical (EO) imaging system. Designed to meet the evolving needs of ISR applications, the CM41 offers an unmatched combination of affordability, advanced features, and ease of integration.

The CM41 addresses critical ISR needs by providing situational awareness and medium-range daylight ISR imagery for customers who require a low-cost stabilised imaging system. By enabling the deployment of multiple units, the CM41 significantly reduces the financial cost associated with forward deployment of ISR systems, ensuring timely and critical ISR imaging when it matters most.

Packed with a suite of onboard features and video analytics, the CM41 enhances ISR performance with its single-axis gyro stabilisation, electronic stabilisation, and digital roll correction. These features ensure high-quality imagery, while onboard video analytics, including on-gimbal automated object recognition, provide comprehensive situational awareness. The unique dual sensor design provides operators with 18x zoom and is packed in a lightweight design weighing only 160g. With MAVLink compatibility and the ability to support various mount orientations, the CM41 can seamlessly integrate with existing UAS systems.

“The small UAS landscape is changing at a breakneck pace, sub system suppliers need to be able to quickly respond to end user needs,” said Evert van Schuppen, Director of Operations & Business Development at AVT Australia. “The CM41 is a perfect example of being able to rapidly address a need.”

AVT Australia is a leading supplier of lightweight, gyro-stabilised imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and target acquisition operations. Recognised for expertise in advanced engineering services, AVT Australia is a trusted supplier of imaging solutions for Australian defence customers and international customers, with systems supporting operations in over 50 countries.

You can learn more about the CM41 by visiting www.ascentvision.com.au/cm41 or by contacting sales@ascentvision.com.au.

The second post in the series featured our salt/fog chamber, used for rigorous testing of the CM62 to ensure the gimbal can withstand corrosion and environmental impacts. In addition to its IP67 rating, the latest CM62 is able to withstand harsh salt fog conditions, which allows for reliable operation in littoral environment.

The fourth post in the series featured the drop testing procedures that ensure our gimbals are able to withstand the toughest of mission. With a 40G shock-rated CM62, you can have the confidence that you won’t be causing damage to your payload.

The fifth post in the series featured our optical collimator, used to precisely align the image sensors of every gimbal system to ensure image accuracy and quality. Using a collimator allows us to objectively assess the performance of the imaging sensors installed in our products to ensure all units delivered to customers perform to the same quality standards.

AVT Australia is a leading supplier of lightweight, gyro-stabilised imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and target acquisition operations. Recognised for expertise in advanced engineering services, AVT Australia is a trusted supplier of imaging solutions for Australian defence customers and international customers, with systems supporting operations in over 50 countries.

AVT Australia is pleased to announce it has signed the Soldier On Platinum Pledge to provide support to veterans and their families. In collaboration with the Soldier On Pathways Program, AVT Australia is able to provide support to the veteran community by offering training, development, and employment opportunities.

“We are proud to join Soldier On as a Platinum Pledge Partner. The transition from a military to civilian career can be challenging. As part of our commitment to the Australian Defence Force, we look to make this transition as easy as possible by providing exciting training and career development opportunities at AVT Australia” said Dale Heinken, AVT Australia President and Managing Director.

AVT Australia is a leading supplier of lightweight, gyro-stabilised imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and target acquisition operations. Recognised for our expertise in advanced engineering services, AVT Australia is a trusted supplier of imaging solutions for our Australian defence customers and international customers. AVT Australia is proud to contribute to strengthening Australia’s sovereign industrial capability through our Australian designed and manufactured systems. By partnering with reliable Australian industry partners, AVT Australia leverages a local supply chain to deliver cutting-edge surveillance systems to our customers.

 Established in 2012, Soldier On is a not-for-profit veteran support organisation delivering a range of early intervention services to veterans and their families in multiple locations across Australia. Soldier On provides a holistic model of support, focusing on Health and wellbeing, Employment Support, Learning and Education programs and Participation and Social Connection. Whether Australian veterans or their family members need to access services in one or all four areas, our staff are here to HELP them connect with others and enable them to thrive through tailored programs.

Melbourne-based Ascent Vision Technologies Australia (AVTA), a CACI Company, will show its world-leading CM234 sensor gimbal system as part of the STRIX Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) launch today at the 2023 Avalon Airshow.

STRIX is a significant Australian innovation developed by BAE Systems Australia and aerospace specialist company Innovaero. The STRIX prototype, currently under construction, will be an autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS for various tactical battlefield roles, predominately supporting ground and maritime forces. It can also be teamed with piloted helicopters over the battlefield.

Reconnaissance is a key capability for the STRIX concept delivering mission critical information for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and deep-strike capabilities. The CM234 sensor supplied by AVTA for the concept demonstration is of light-weight design and provides advanced optical, infrared scanning and laser targeting options.

“We’re delighted to be part of the design and development of the STRIX UAS concept model at Avalon 2023,” said AVTA Managing Director, Dale Heinken. “The CM234 offers a wide range of sensor capabilities and laser payloads in a small size, weight, and power.”

The AVTA sensor incorporated in the STRIX concept model also incorporates high definition electro-optical (EO), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), a laser range finder (LRF), a laser target designator (LTD), and a laser pointer.

BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Officer Ben Hudson said AVTA’s technology was a fundamental part of the STRIX UAS platform on display at Avalon. “We are really pleased to be working with the team at AVTA and include the sensor gimbal system in STRIX,” Mr Hudson said.

“STRIX will add new capabilities for our customers on the battlefield. Its success is leveraged with our strong focus on building a future sovereign supply chain around the platform and incorporating the expertise of Australian SMEs.”

AVTA has been designing and manufacturing airborne gimbal systems in Australia for nearly 15 years and their national footprint includes operations in Victoria and NSW.

AVTA incorporates significant levels of local R&D by engineering all payload systems from conception to prototyping, production, and support in Australia. The global company has designated Australia as a research and development centre for gimballed ISR payload with more than 50 full time staff spread across Engineering, Operations and Production functions.

The company has made significant investments in sovereign defence industry capability in the form of dedicated design, test, verification, and calibration facilities in its Melbourne engineering hub, where employment opportunities for a broad engineering workforce are continually created to support product development.