{"id":33473,"date":"2024-03-25T01:26:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T17:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/?p=33473"},"modified":"2024-08-16T05:03:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T21:03:55","slug":"militarised-brisbane-weapons-manufacturers-university-partnerships-and-grass-roots-activism-miriam-deprez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/militarised-brisbane-weapons-manufacturers-university-partnerships-and-grass-roots-activism-miriam-deprez\/","title":{"rendered":"Militarised Brisbane: weapons manufacturers, university partnerships and grass-roots activism &#8211; Miriam Deprez"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At about 9 am on Monday 8<span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span> January, in an industrial outer suburb of Brisbane, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wagepeaceau\/status\/1744238381637456080\">roughly thirty activists<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> took over the Ferra Engineering manufacturing floor. Banners read \u201cFerra Spreads Terror\u201d and \u201cStop Arming Israel\u201d as the protesters shut down, albeit temporarily, the Ferra production line.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The suburb of Tingalpa seems a long way from the Middle East, but has found itself as part of the global supply chain for lethal weapons manufacturing. Ferra Engineering is the sole manufacturer of the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230602061414\/https:\/\/www.lockheedmartin.com\/en-au\/partnerships\/partnership-key-to-advancing-f-35-manufacturing-capability.html\">Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) weapons bay adapters<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> &#8211; the mechanisms that hold and release the bombs carried by the F-35 jet fighters, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2023\/11\/07\/israeli-f-35i-cas-gaza\/\">currently being dropped<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">on civilians in Gaza.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33483\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AIM-9-Sidewinder-missiles-sit-on-a-cart-before-being-loaded-aboard-an-aircraft.jpg?resize=1018%2C530&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1018\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AIM-9-Sidewinder-missiles-sit-on-a-cart-before-being-loaded-aboard-an-aircraft.jpg 1018w, https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AIM-9-Sidewinder-missiles-sit-on-a-cart-before-being-loaded-aboard-an-aircraft-980x510.jpg 980w, https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AIM-9-Sidewinder-missiles-sit-on-a-cart-before-being-loaded-aboard-an-aircraft-480x250.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1018px, 100vw\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/picryl.com\/media\/aim-9-sidewinder-missiles-top-and-aim-7-sparrow-missiles-sit-on-a-cart-before-3ea6c8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles sit on a cart before being loaded aboard an aircraft<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Lockheed Martin, the US manufacturer of the F-35, describes the bomber as the <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.f35.com\/f35\/about.html#:~:text=The%20F%2D35%20strengthens%20national,mission%20and%20come%20home%20safe.\">most lethal\u201d fighter aircraft in the world<\/a>. <span style=\"color: #000000;\">The protesters at Ferra concur with this assessment, saying Ferra is \u201cexporting terror\u201d by producing components for the F-35 which Israel is using over the civilian population of Gaza.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">However, Ferra Engineering, with its links to global military supply chains, is not the only weapons and military technology company based in Brisbane. What might surprise many is that this subtropical city, with a reputation of being a big country town, is a key link in the global weapons supply chain, and its economic future is becoming increasingly tethered to the military-industrial complex. Brisbane and its surrounding region are home to companies that span the arms industry, from missiles and guns to unmanned aerial and autonomous systems and testing facilities, all of which have headquarters or offices in the city and its outer suburbs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Just as the local economy has become increasingly militarised, so too has Brisbane\u2019s higher education sector. South East Queensland\u2019s three largest universities \u2014 Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and the University of Queensland (UQ) &#8211;&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theaustralian.com.au\/special-reports\/how-universityindustry-partnerships-can-fix-the-defence-innovation-crisis\/news-story\/9add8e1db417b41801e29485931abc9d\">are also active<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">in projects facilitated by Australian defence and have partnerships with arms companies.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Scratch the surface, and Brisbane\u2019s military past, its present involvement in serious weapons manufacturing, and its investments in a militarised future become clear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>The main players<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Just to give you an idea of the breadth and scope of the weapons industries in Brisbane, let\u2019s go through a few of the key ones. One of the main players, as previously mentioned, is Ferra Engineering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ferra, a global aerospace and defence company, is a participant in the global supply chain and a cooperative partner in the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme. \u201cEvery Joint Strike Fighter flying world-wide will have adaptors produced by Ferra,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ferra-group.com\/ferra-formidable-in-f-35\/\">Ferra\u2019s website states<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. \u201cWith an expected global fleet of around 3,000 Joint Strike Fighters by 2035, this represents a potential contract value of over $1 billion over the life of this long term program.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Unquestionably, these Australian-equipped Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35 Joint Strike Fighters are killing civilians and supporting a brutal ground assault in Gaza. \u201cAustralia\u2019s complete integration into the F-35 global supply chain means that every jet that flies has many Australian parts,\u201d according to Kellie Tranter\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/declassifiedaus.org\/2023\/11\/17\/australias-role-in-the-bombing-of-gaza\/\">report in Declassified Australia<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">.&nbsp;\u201cAnd countries using them, like Israel, depend on the replenishment of those parts as needed.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Much of the Gaza Strip is now reduced to rubble as a result of Israel\u2019s unrelenting air assault, with 85 per cent of the population internally displaced, with at least 1.5 million Palestinians currently sheltering in the southern city of Rafah. Latest figures on the death toll vary, as those who are under the rubble or are being killed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2023\/12\/18\/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza\">by starvation<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">sometimes do not get counted. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aa.com.tr\/en\/middle-east\/palestinian-death-toll-from-israeli-onslaught-reaches-31-726-since-oct-7\/3167403\">According to news agencies<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> using Palestinian health authority data, the figure stands at 31,726 Palestinians killed and 73,792 injured as of the time of writing. However, EuroMed, an independent human rights monitor based in Geneva, has put the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C4flhy3M4n2\/\">death toll of Palestinians in Gaza at 40,042<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">of whom 90 per cent are civilians, and shockingly, 14,350 are children.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Aside from the production of F-35 adaptors, Ferra is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/statements.qld.gov.au\/statements\/97257\">also involved<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> with the manufacturing and capabilities of Boeing\u2019s autonomous MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, formerly known as the \u2018Loyal Wingman\u2019. The \u201cGhost Bat\u201d is an autonomous aircraft that the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing Australia worked on together as a flagship project. The Ghost Bat project instigated the creation of a Boeing production plant in Toowoomba, Queensland, as part of the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagnercorporation.com.au\/aerospace-defence-precinct\/boeing-defence\/\"> Wellcamp Aerospace and Defence Precinct.<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> The facility is Boeing\u2019s first production plant outside of the United States.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Unmanned and autonomous aircraft, such as the Ghost Bat, are raising concerns about the ethics of contemporary warfare, while Australia embraces this quickly emerging business with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/declassifiedaus.org\/2023\/08\/21\/killing-by-algorithm\/\">little public debate<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Speaking of autonomous systems, Brisbane-based Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS) is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/science.des.qld.gov.au\/research\/capability-directory\/trusted-autonomous-systems-defence-cooperative-research-centre\">Australia\u2019s first <\/a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><a style=\"color: #008000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dst.defence.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/documents\/NGTF%20CRC%20A4%20Brochure%20LR.pdf\">Defence Cooperative Research Centre<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">(an initiative by the Australian Government that links industry with researchers to \u201c<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/business.gov.au\/grants-and-programs\/defence-cooperative-research-centres-program\">deliver game-changing<\/a> Defence capabilities\u201d). Tasked with creating autonomous and robotic technologies to \u201cenable trusted and effective cooperation between humans and machines,\u201d the government granted TAS an initial investment of $50 million for their first seven years of operation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Amongst other research and development projects, TAS initiated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tasdcrc.com.au\/what-we-do\/\">The Sea Wolf<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> pilot program in late 2021. Funded by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Warfare Innovation Navy (WIN) Branch, with expertise, hardware and manufacturing from Cellula Robotics Ltd, The Sea Wolf Program aims to build autonomous underwater capabilities. Out of this initiative, they developed the<\/span> \u200b\u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cellula.com\/solus-xr\">Solus-XR<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, a \u201cnext generation, fuel cell powered extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) designed for port to port, lightly supervised surveillance missions over long ranges.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">TAS also boasts partnerships with the university sector, but we will get to that later.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Another company developing autonomous weapons systems capabilities in the Brisbane region is Insitu Pacific (a subsidiary of Boeing), whose main activity is providing unmanned aerial system (UAS) services to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Located in Alderley, Insitu Pacific head office is about five kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD as the drone flies. According to their website, Insitu\u2019s facilities include business services, engineering capability, flight operations, maintenance services, a large warehouse, and comprehensive training rooms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Insitu Pacific\u2019s \u201cFlight Testing and Training Facility\u201d is located at Coominya, less than ninety minutes from Brisbane, where they conduct a range of testing on their systems, payloads, and engines. In <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/adbr.com.au\/insitu-demonstrates-detect-avoid-system-on-scaneagle\/\">conjunction with QUT<\/a>, researchers developed the Australian-designed detect and avoid (DAA) capability &#8211; an autonomous onboard capability to detect other aircraft that will be used on Insitu\u2019s unmanned aircraft systems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Brisbane is also home to your more run-of-the-mill style weapons manufacturers, with the \u201cfamily-owned\u201d global munitions company NIOA, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amc.com.au\/latest-news\/australian-missile-corporation-selected-for-guided-weapons-program\">which is the \u201clargest<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> privately-owned supplier of munitions to the Australian and New Zealand defence, law enforcement, and commercial markets.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The founder and CEO, Robert Nioa is the son-in-law of Australian federal politician Bob Katter and the company has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagepeaceau.org\/nioa-arming-the-intervention\/\">donated<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> at least $160,000 to Katter\u2019s Australian Party (KAP), and $20,000 to the Liberal Democrats. As we are on the topic of Australian politicians, former Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne is currently the NIOA chairman. Former ALP Opposition Leader and current Council Chair of the Australian War Memorial Kim \u201cBomber\u201d Beazley, and former Coalition Opposition Leader and former Council Chair of the Australian War Memorial Brendan Nelson, are two more prominent figures who have left their political careers to assume lucrative leadership roles at NIOA. (Nelson is also the senior vice president of The Boeing Company and president of Boeing Global.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">NIOA boasts they are a \u201cprovider of firearms, weapons, munitions and technical support for critical programs\u201d and work with \u201cmultiple Australian and international companies.\u201d NIOA\u2019s repertoire consists of \u201csmall arms, medium and large calibre munitions, special function grenades and pyrotechnics, leading edge pistol systems, optics and carriage solutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, the company is not<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2015-07-14\/rapid-fire-shotgun-import-concerns-gun-control-activists\/6619226\">without controversy<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. In 2015, NIOA imported over 7,000 Adler A110 lever-action shotguns from Turkey. This sparked a discussion in Australia concerning access to rapid-fire shotguns with large magazines, which might have gravely damaged post-Port Arthur gun control legislation.&nbsp;The Brisbane plant not only provides ammo to the Australian police force, but also maintains Glock handguns. Wage Peace and Indigenous Australian Yuendumu elders have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wagepeaceau.org\/nioa-arming-the-intervention\/\">spoken out<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> against NIOA and its denials that the Australian arms business, police militarization, and state brutality are all interconnected.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The NIOA Group\u2019s other companies include NIOA New Zealand, <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/barrett.net\/\">Barrett Firearms<\/a> (USA), Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions and the Australian Missile Corporation (AMC), which specialises in guided and non-guided weapons systems. In 2022, the Sovereign Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) venture included AMC as one of its partners. This $4.1 billion initiative, along with Raytheon Australia and Lockheed Martin, is designed to establish a \u201csustainable sovereign guided weapons industrial base\u201d that would extend existing weapons systems to include \u201cland based maritime strike and long-range missile launchers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>Military on display<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Brisbane loves a show. And often, it is the military that is on display. Every year in September, as part of the Brisbane Festival, \u2018Riverfire\u2019 is Queensland\u2019s largest pyrotechnics spectacle. Despite the more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2023-09-01\/brisbane-riverfire-fireworks-south-bank-where-to-watch-guide\/102783946\">11 tonnes of fireworks<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> being used for the show, the centrepiece of the Riverfire event is when the Royal Australian Air Force flies over from C17A Globemaster and EA-18G Growler aircraft over the river, much to the delight of fawning crowds.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The event has previously featured flyovers from RAAF F\/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, Army MRH-90 Taipans and EC655 Eurocopter Tigers and Globemaster aircraft, some within seventy metres of Brisbane\u2019s skyscrapers. The ear-deafening aircraft reverberations can be heard from every corner of the city.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On the ground, Brisbane has also hosted the largest military exhibition in the southern hemisphere. The Land Forces Expo, where defence businesses showcase cutting-edge equipment and ideas at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre broke record numbers in 2022, boasting 20,000 attendees and 810 participating exhibitor companies from twenty-five nations.&nbsp;Protesters in Brisbane have consistently made sure to raise awareness over this expo. In 2021 they <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-06-01\/qld-weapons-protest-brisbane-land-forces-rally\/100180604\">sprayed fake blood<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> over the front of the Convention Centre steps, in a demonstration that ended in seven arrests.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, this military fervour is not new. The city has a long legacy of weapons manufacturing and weapons dumping in the surrounding regions and coastal areas. During World War II, Brisbane served as an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au\/news\/Backward-Glance-Bribie-Island-Fortifications-20-Jan-2016\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201c<\/span>advance debarkation<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201d port for the United States Army and a repair base for submarines operating off the east coast of Australia. Brisbane River and the Moreton Bay waterways were vitally important strategically as they served as shipping channels on the north and south entrances to Moreton Bay. Additionally, the region was fortified to a significant degree. Bribie was defended by a \u201cheavy artillery regiment,\u201d and along the Sunshine Coast, \u201cmachine guns were installed in concrete pillboxes in preparation for an unexpected invasion\u201d and barbed wire was stretched along much of the coastlines.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After the war ended, more than 8,000 tonnes of chemical weapons, principally mustard gas, were dumped off Moreton Island, just off the coast of Brisbane. Although these<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brisbanetimes.com.au\/national\/queensland\/wwii-mustard-gas-dumped-off-cape-moreton-20150416-1mms8r.html\"> reportedly<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">do not pose a serious threat to humans, it is unclear if any biological tests have ever been undertaken at the Cape Moreton Marine Park to this day. In addition to tear gas, explosives, aircraft, and munitions were also dumped, along with an arsenic-based chemical weapon called lewisite that generates the same large lesions as mustard gas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">According to publicly accessible <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/uxo-map.defence.gov.au\/\">Department of Defence sources<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">,<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Australia has 1215 documented UXO locations. Of the 269 known Queensland locations, seventy are thought to contain \u201csubstantial\u201d contamination, with bullets and grenades probably still buried.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #800000;\"><strong>Brisbane\u2019s tertiary military partnerships<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">Universities in Brisbane and across Australia are becoming channels to the defence industry. The top three Brisbane universities \u2014 Griffith, UQ and QUT \u2014 boast multiple partnerships and research grants tied to defence industry firms, turning our higher education system into a glorified feeder for weapons manufacturers and developers. Brisbane universities are active participants in projects facilitated by partnerships with Australian defence or arms companies. These companies range from autonomous capabilities to bulldozing machines that have been used to flatten parts of the Palestinian Occupied Territories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The biggest player in the research-defence nexus is The University of Queensland, which boasts a rogue\u2019s gallery of military partnerships \u2014 vaunting ties with the Australian Defence Force, BAE Systems (British multinational arms, security and aerospace company), Black Sky Aerospace (Australia\u2019s only sovereign manufacturer of solid rocket fuel, motors, launch vehicles, services, and common tactical boosters), Defence Science and Technology (DTSG), Defence Materials Technology Centre, Hypersonix Launch Systems (Hypersonix is an aerospace engineering, design and build company, specialising in hypersonic technology and scramjet engines), Lockheed Martin Australia (aerospace, arms, defence, information security, and technology corporation), MBDA Systems (a European missile manufacturer), Stryder Defence, Thales Australia, Trusted Autonomous Systems, and Boeing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">UQ\u2019s ties with Boeing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenleft.org.au\/content\/protesters-tell-uq-senate-cut-ties-weapons-manufacturer-boeing\">have sparked protests<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in recent years, after Boeing Research and Technology Australia moved its Brisbane-based team in 2017 to the University of Queensland\u2019s St Lucia campus.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uq.edu.au\/news\/article\/2017\/06\/boeing-opens-research-centre-uq\">This represented<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> the \u201cfirst time in the Asia-Pacific region that Boeing has co-located research within a university.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boeing is the world\u2019s third largest weapons corporation, and is running a hypersonic missile program at the Boeing Institute on the St Lucia campus. According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/press-release\/2019\/09\/arms-companies-failing-to-address-human-rights-risks\/\">Amnesty International<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, Boeing, among other corporations like BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, have been integral to the coalition effort, \u201carming a fleet of combat aircraft that has repeatedly struck civilian objects, including homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces\u201d in Yemen. Amnesty also flagged the risk of Boeing \u201cmaking millions from supplying arms and services to the Saudi Arabia\/UAE-led coalition.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2018 under the auspices of the US Department of Defence Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Griffith University <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.griffith.edu.au\/2018\/06\/04\/griffith-selected-for-defence-project-research\/\">was chosen<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">,<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> along with a select group of universities, to conduct joint research with US universities on priority defence projects.&nbsp;Through this initiative, Griffith\u2019s Centre for Quantum Dynamics which does \u201cextensive reach in the quantum research community\u201d, also boasts key <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.griffith.edu.au\/centre-quantum-dynamics\/partnerships\">partnerships<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20231025210906\/https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/world-largest-arms-manufacturers-products-171500764.html\">world\u2019s largest <\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">weapons manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Griffith\u2019s Centre for Integrated and Intelligent Systems work, \u201cfocuses on developing advanced robotics, data analytics, and AI technologies that can be used for a range of defence and security applications. Griffith\u2019s Advanced Design Prototyping Technology Institute distinctively positions the university to support defence material innovation,\u201d<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theaustralian.com.au\/special-reports\/how-universityindustry-partnerships-can-fix-the-defence-innovation-crisis\/news-story\/9add8e1db417b41801e29485931abc9d\">according to Professor Adam Findlay<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, AO, the founding director of Griffith University Defence Network.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One controversial <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.griffith.edu.au\/institute-integrated-intelligent-systems\/our-institute\/partnerships-collaboration\">partner<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> that has also worked with Griffith\u2019s Centre for Integrated and Intelligent Systems is Raytheon, a massive missile, weapons, and commercial electronics company. Amongst its arsenal, Raytheon sells the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/About-Us\/Fact-Sheets\/Display\/Article\/104557\/aim-9-sidewinder\/#:~:text=The%20AIM%2D9%20Sidewinder%20is,Force%20for%20fighter%20aircraft%20use.\">AIM-9 Sidewinder supersonic heat seeking air-to-air missile<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforce-technology.com\/projects\/agm-65-maverick-tactical-missile\/?cf-view\">Maverick air-to-ground missiles<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rtx.com\/raytheon\/what-we-do\/sea\/tomahawk-cruise-missile\">Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">. Raytheon also provides the Pentagon with futuristic-sounding weapons like the \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rtx.com\/raytheon\/what-we-do\/strategic-missile-defense\/ekv\">Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20231205030328\/https:\/\/missiledefenseadvocacy.org\/defense-systems\/kinetic-energy-interceptor-kei\/\">Kinetic Energy Interceptors<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201c, as well as a wide range of electronic components used in contemporary warfare. Raytheon has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/factsheet-11-Raytheon.pdf\">attracted criticism<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> for producing the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), which was used to deliver cluster bombs and was widely denounced for its destructive effect on civilians. Raytheon also has two corporate offices in Brisbane, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/raytheonaustralia\/?hl=en\">with their glossy Instagram account<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> stating that they are \u201cthe nation\u2019s leading provider of whole-of-life capabilities for the Australian Defence Force.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Across the Brisbane river, QUT\u2019s military partnership rap sheet includes the likes of Rheinmetall Defence Australia, a joint venture partner of NIOA. Rheinmetall produces 155mm artillery rounds for the Australian Defence Force; however, the company\u2019s<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rheinmetall.com\/en\/media\/news-watch\/news\/2023\/7\/2023-07-04-rheinmetall-f35-fuselage-factory\"> website primarily<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> mentions their ammunition manufacturing and export for the US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. In 2021, at the Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions plant in Maryborough, then-PM Scott Morrison, resplendent in the mandatory hi-vis vest, was also seen with a&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/gallery\/2021\/may\/22\/how-good-are-photo-ops-scott-morrison-holds-a-hammer-and-sits-in-big-machines-in-pictures\">large artillery shell<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in his hands.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33487\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Morrison-holding-a-Rheinmetall-shell.jpg?resize=1010%2C673&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1010\" height=\"673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Morrison-holding-a-Rheinmetall-shell.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Morrison-holding-a-Rheinmetall-shell-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Morrison-holding-a-Rheinmetall-shell-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1010px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"content-main col-12 col-md-8 \">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">QUT also has a partnership with US-based equipment manufacturer Caterpillar. Caterpillar has been a supplier of heavy machinery to Israel for several decades. Notably, the Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozer has come under scrutiny due to allegations that it was utilised to infringe upon human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Whilst it may seem strange to call out a company known for its heavy machinery, Caterpillar machines are often <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whoprofits.org\/companies\/company\/3772?caterpillar\">weaponised and retrofitted<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">with \u201cgunner positions\u201d and a \u201cbulletproof driver cabin\u201d to be used for \u201cbattle\u201d by the Israeli military. These are then used by Israeli forces in attacks against Palestinians as well as in the destruction of homes and the building of border fences, infrastructure for illegal settlements, and military checkpoints.<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnestyusa.org\/updates\/caterpillar-incs-role-in-human-rights-violations-in-the-occupied-palestinian-territories\/\">Amnesty International<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2004\/11\/21\/israel-caterpillar-should-suspend-bulldozer-sales\">Human Rights Watch<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">have both released several reports since the early 2000s calling out Caterpillar for complicity in these violations in the Territories and to cease providing machinery to Israel, to no avail. On<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whoprofits.org\/companies\/company\/3772?caterpillar\">July 3, 2023<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">, Caterpillar D9 bulldozers were seen wreaking significant damage during the Israeli military assault on the Jenin Refugee Camp. The D9 bulldozers were used to remove roadways, causing damage to all of the refugee camp\u2019s electrical and water networks. On July 24, 2023, D9 were recorded in a military attack on the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">The economics of war also extend to the finance system, with UniSuper \u2014 the preferred superannuation fund of all three universities \u2014 having recently come under fire for investing in arms manufacturers with a questionable track record on human rights. UniSuper is Griffith, UQ and QUT\u2019s preferred super fund. It has been called out for its holdings in military companies that are currently supplying weapons and technology to support the war in Gaza, as well as weapons companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the most egregious being Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, General Dynamics, Boeing and Elbit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Elbit Systems is Israel\u2019s biggest privately held weaponry and security firm, producing 85 per cent of the Israeli military\u2019s drones and land-based equipment. It is a significant arms exporter that has marketed its weapons as \u201cfield tested,\u201d referring to the Israeli Defence Force\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2023\/11\/17\/israels-weapons-industry-is-the-gaza-war-its-latest-test-lab\">widespread usage<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">of Elbit weapons in Palestinian populations of the West Bank and Gaza.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are broad moral, social and political implications of Brisbane and its higher education system, economy and culture becoming increasingly militarised. As the tertiary sector across Australia becomes increasingly marked by \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2023\/apr\/10\/appallingly-unethical-why-australian-universities-are-at-breaking-point\">cost-cutting, casualisation and ridiculous teaching loads<\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\">,\u201d the military-industrial-education complex is a lucrative prospect. Despite the obvious ethical implications of using students to research military capabilities, having funding come from the billion-dollar weapons sector means universities cannot remain impartial and fulfill their role of producing critical thinkers capable of challenging such industries.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">All of the companies discussed in this article are marked by anything from sketchy human rights track records to blatant involvement in war crimes called out by human rights organisations \u2014 and the city of Brisbane is complicit. From festivals to university partners to the manufacturing of specific adaptors that are dropping bombs even as you read this, the military-industrial complex has been interwoven into the khaki fabric that makes up greater Brisbane. What we must ask ourselves is \u2014 is it worth it?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; color: #000000;\">As protesters picketed outside of the Brisbane Ferra Engineering factory for the second time on January 24<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span>, there was a resounding sentiment that having Brisbane\u2019s name bound to a system that benefits from war was not only wrong, but it signified a moral cliff edge of how they want Brisbane\u2019s economy to function. It also signified a connection to the growing global resistance movement, that stands against the global economic ties to the chain of the military-industrial complex, of which Brisbane is another link.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source: <\/span><a title=\"Militarised Brisbane: weapons manufacturers, university partnerships and grass-roots activism - Miriam Deprez - Overland\" href=\"https:\/\/overland.org.au\/2024\/03\/militarised-brisbane-weapons-manufacturers-university-partnerships-and-grass-roots-activism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Militarised Brisbane: weapons manufacturers, university partnerships and grass-roots activism<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> &#8211; <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><a style=\"color: #008000;\" href=\"https:\/\/overland.org.au\/author\/miriam-deprez-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miriam Deprez<\/a><\/span> &#8211; Overland <span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">&#8211; 25 March 2024<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/picryl.com\/media\/aim-9-sidewinder-missiles-top-and-aim-7-sparrow-missiles-sit-on-a-cart-before-3ea6c8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles sit on a cart before being loaded aboard an aircraft<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&nbsp;<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/jan\/28\/australia-unveils-plan-to-become-one-of-worlds-top-10-arms-exporters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-33485 size-full\" title=\"Former PM Turnbull spruiks jobs for local manufacturers but Tim Costello of World Vision says \u2018whatever money we make from this dirty business will be blood money\u2019\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Turnbull-war-ghoul.jpg?resize=639%2C844&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"639\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Turnbull-war-ghoul.jpg 639w, https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Turnbull-war-ghoul-480x634.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 639px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" title=\"Australia unveils plan to become one of world\u2019s top 10 arms exporters - PM spruiks jobs for local manufacturers but Tim Costello of World Vision says \u2018whatever money we make from this dirty business will be blood money\u2019 - Gareth Hutchens - The Guardian\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/jan\/28\/australia-unveils-plan-to-become-one-of-worlds-top-10-arms-exporters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">Australia unveils plan to become one of world\u2019s top 10 arms exporters<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Miriam Deprez<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">Miriam Deprez is a journalist-turned academic, currently undertaking her PhD at Griffith University. She has worked as a freelance journalist and photojournalist, covering parts of the Middle East, South East Asia, Europe and Pacific. Miriam is also the secretary of <a title=\"We work to eradicate the impacts of explosive remnants of war to ensure a safe future for all\" href=\"https:\/\/safeground.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">SafeGround<\/span><\/a> that works to eradicate the impacts of explosive remnants of war.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/overland.org.au\/author\/miriam-deprez-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">More by Miriam Deprez \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Related<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"We are a dynamic, creative and passionate crew made up of peaceful humans from across Australia and into West Papua, Aotearoa, Indonesia and the Pacific. We are in active solidarity and collaboration with other peace, human rights and earth rights movements globally - Wage Peace\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagepeaceau.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-33510 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Wage-Peace.jpg?resize=400%2C81&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"81\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Wage-Peace.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Wage-Peace.jpg?resize=300%2C61&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"We are a dynamic, creative and passionate crew made up of peaceful humans from across Australia and into West Papua, Aotearoa, Indonesia and the Pacific. We are in active solidarity and collaboration with other peace, human rights and earth rights movements globally - WAGE PEACE\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wagepeaceau.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">WAGE PEACE &#8211; DISRUPT WAR<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; At about 9 am on Monday 8th January, in an industrial outer suburb of Brisbane, roughly thirty activists took over the Ferra Engineering manufacturing floor. Banners read \u201cFerra Spreads Terror\u201d and \u201cStop Arming Israel\u201d as the protesters shut down, albeit temporarily, the Ferra production line. The suburb of Tingalpa seems a long way from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":33504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[617,135,301,624,113,645,145,3,392,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aukus","category-australias-move-to-the-right","category-corruption","category-education","category-foreign-policy","category-gaza-genocide","category-military","category-political-issues","category-racism","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}