Australia faces an extraordinary maritime security challenge that would overwhelm most nations. With 37,000 kilometers of coastline and an exclusive economic zone spanning 8.2 million square kilometers—larger than the continental United States—traditional defense approaches simply cannot provide adequate coverage. Under Rear Admiral Brett Sonter’s leadership, the Australian Maritime Border Command is pioneering a fundamentally different model that could reshape how militaries worldwide approach capability development.

The transformation began with what most organizations would consider a fatal setback. A previous six-month trial of uncrewed surface vessels had failed to meet expectations, producing results that would typically end further investment in the technology. Rather than abandoning the concept, Sonter recognized that the failure lay not in the technology itself, but in the traditional procurement approach that surrounded it. Lengthy requirement development processes and multi-year acquisition timelines couldn’t keep pace with rapidly evolving uncrewed systems technology.

When Sonter assumed command in January 2024, he initiated a radically different collaboration model. Instead of isolated requirement documents and formal specifications, operational commanders and industry engineers began working side by side. This direct engagement created the nuanced understanding that formal processes often miss—operators could see technical possibilities firsthand, while engineers understood real operational constraints and environmental challenges.

The results were dramatic. During a visit to Darwin, when the Australian company proudly demonstrated detection ranges of two to three nautical miles, Sonter deliberately set an ambitious target: 20 nautical miles. This wasn’t unrealistic pressure but strategic leadership, providing a “north star” that drove breakthrough innovation rather than incremental improvement. The company responded by fundamentally rethinking their approach to sensor integration, data processing, and platform design.

Central to this success is a conceptual shift from platforms to payloads. Traditional acquisition focuses on buying discrete pieces of equipment with defined specifications. Sonter’s approach focuses on the capabilities these platforms deliver—the sensors, data, and operational effects that actually matter for mission success. This payload-centric thinking enables greater flexibility, as different payloads can be optimized for different environments while remaining common across various platforms.

The approach has evolved into what Sonter calls “security clusters”—integrated teams combining uncrewed surface vessels, uncrewed aerial vehicles, and crewed platforms under hybrid command structures. These clusters leverage the unique strengths of each system type. Uncrewed vessels provide persistent surveillance with heavy sensor payloads. Aerial drones offer rapid response across large areas. Crewed platforms bring human judgment and legal authority for interdictions and boardings.

The economic implications extend beyond simple cost savings. By using uncrewed systems for routine surveillance, Australia reserves expensive crewed assets for situations genuinely requiring human intervention. This approach also delivers what Sonter calls “evidence-based operations”—crewed vessels now respond to violations armed with photographic evidence, sonar data, and detailed tracking information, improving prosecution success rates while reducing confrontational situations.

Perhaps most significantly, this model offers a template for regional maritime cooperation. Rather than each Pacific nation developing separate expensive solutions, countries could collaborate on payload development and data sharing while maintaining their preferred platforms. Sensor systems developed for Australia’s northern waters might be equally valuable to Indonesian, Philippine, or Japanese maritime forces, even deployed on completely different vessels.

The lessons extend far beyond maritime security. Direct engagement between operators and industry accelerates innovation dramatically. Ambitious stretch goals inspire breakthrough thinking. Focusing on effects rather than platforms enables flexibility. Starting with manageable experiments while thinking big reduces risk while building capability. Treating capability development as an ongoing conversation rather than a discrete procurement event enables continuous adaptation.

As nations worldwide grapple with expanding security challenges and constrained budgets, Australia’s approach demonstrates that innovative collaboration between military operators and industry can deliver capabilities that are both more effective and more affordable than traditional procurement models. The future of defense innovation may well be written in Australian waters, where breakthrough thinking about technology and collaboration is creating new possibilities for addressing seemingly impossible challenges.