Black Sky Industries launches with new headquarters in Queensland
Defence industry and technology company Black Sky Industries has officially launched in Australia with the establishment of a multi-million dollar headquarters in Logan, Queensland. The company is also setting up launch, test, and manufacturing facilities throughout Western Queensland. This move aims to accelerate the production capability of sovereign scaled rocket motor and defence systems.
Black Sky Industries, originally known as Black Sky Aerospace, is Australia's only sovereign developer and supplier of solid rocket propellant and solid rocket motors for the defence sector. The company was co-founded by aerospace, defence, and manufacturing industry veterans Blake Nikolic and Karl Hemphill along with Dr Vu Tran, who also co-founded the technology startup Go1, valued at over USD $3 billion.
The founders have ambitious plans to generate hundreds of advanced manufacturing and defence industry jobs over the next decade. Recent notable hires include former L3Harris Technologies director David Johnson, who will serve as general manager, and defence innovation veteran Stephen Delo.
Black Sky Industries is rethinking the design, development, and manufacturing processes of rockets on a large scale. As a local producer of ammonium perchlorate (AP)—a critical ingredient for conventional solid rocket motors used in aerospace and defence industries—the company is positioning itself as a key player in the local defence supply chain. Their offerings include proprietary Wagtail Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) technology designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and drones.
Cortex1, the proprietary software platform developed by Black Sky, underpins all facets of its operations. This includes research and development, manufacturing, launch control, tracking, and mapping. The platform employs data-driven propellant formulation and characterisation technology using artificial intelligence, thus integrating advanced computational techniques into traditional defence manufacturing processes.
The initiative aligns with the federal government's 2024 National Defence Strategy, which aims to integrate existing and emerging technologies for better defence effectiveness in the coming decade. "At Black Sky, complex rocket manufacturing is done with a high degree of innovation, security, and safety but at much lower cost than others," said co-founder Blake Nikolic. "This has the potential to save Australia and our allies billions of dollars and ensure taxpayer funds can be utilised in other areas. We innovate, move quickly, and deliver results."
Dr Vu Tran highlighted the significance of this move for Australia’s defence capabilities. "Australia spends AUD $50 billion to AUD $55 billion on defence each year yet we're lucky to have just one company in the top 100 list of defence suppliers. Black Sky aims to change that," Dr Tran said. "Having sovereign defence capability will help Australia achieve greater efficiency and resilience in the delivery of defence technologies, and in our ability to protect the nation."
Dr Tran further elaborated on the benefits of local manufacturing, which include lowered geopolitical risks, increased operational transparency, regulatory compliance alignment, and intellectual property protection. Additionally, local manufacturing can streamline the customisation of products, reduce dependence on international suppliers, and minimize exposure to global supply chain disruptions. "It encourages the growth of local businesses while building a skilled workforce to develop a consistent pipeline of local talent with proximity and access to local R&D institutions," he said.
