Fyshwick's Role in Defence Technology
Headquartered in Canberra, Boresight is revitalizing Australian manufacturing by becoming a key supplier of small target uncrewed aerial systems to 11 Western armed forces, including all four US services. This achievement positions the company as a leader in defence technology.
In Fyshwick, ACT, Boresight designs and manufactures its products domestically. This approach challenges the belief that sophisticated manufacturing cannot succeed in Australia. The company’s fully integrated aerial target drone ecosystem is both designed and built on home soil.
Manufacturing in Australia has experienced a sharp decline, with its share of GDP dropping from approximately 30% in the 1960s to around 5% today. This decrease represents one of the steepest industrial declines among developed nations, with iconic industries like automotive and appliance manufacturing disappearing.
Justin Olde, Managing Director of Boresight, stated, “The most exciting thing to me is the opportunities for Australian industry. Boresight is really changing some paradigms about what Australian industry can do.” His comments highlight the potential for a resurgence in local manufacturing.
A New Era for Sovereign Manufacturing
Boresight’s integrated aerial target drone ecosystem supports military training and testing across Australasia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East. This comprehensive system includes quadrotor and fixed-wing aerial targets, mission planning software, and scalable ground control systems.
These products enable realistic training without risking high-value assets. Boresight’s innovations demonstrate that Australia can be a highly competitive, high-volume, low-cost manufacturer in the defence sector.
Olde further remarked, “The impression of the Australian defence industry is that we’re too small and haven’t had the capacity to do things here in Australia, certainly not as a competitive, high-volume, low-cost manufacturer. What Boresight is proving is that’s actually false.”
Australia continues to manufacture items such as medical devices, food processing equipment, specialised mining tools, and defence electronics. However, Boresight represents something more urgent: a model for what sovereign, high-technology production can look like when a company refuses to accept old excuses.
The company’s platform range includes aerial targets designed to replicate evolving drone threats, enabling repeatable training scenarios. Defence forces can improve operational readiness and threat emulation without the need for high-value ISR assets.
Boresight’s achievements underscore a broader national potential to revive manufacturing capabilities, offering a blueprint for future industries in Australia. the company is not just reviving manufacturing but also redefining what is possible in Australian industry.
