The unmanned aerial vehicle, known simply as "the Owl", has been in development with the Australian Army since 2022.
The One-Way Loitering munition has been developed by Western Australia-based company Innovaero and Boeing subsidiary Insitu Pacific, and is currently being trialled by an unspecified army special operations unit. "It's a good story of an Aussie company with a really impressive UAV. Special Forces love it, and rightly so," says one defence figure familiar with the product's evaluation.
"In line with the National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program priorities, Defence is continuing trials from maritime, land and air platforms with Australian and overseas suppliers to ensure the Australian Defence Force can deploy the latest technology and maximise its advantages," the spokesperson said.