Test and evaluation

In summary:

  • Queensland has specialised test facilities for land, sea and air.
  • Queensland has existing expertise in advanced materials, hypersonics, space, autonomy and many other fields.
  • Queensland is home to eight universities with capabilities in test and evaluation.
  • Queensland’s geography enables testing across a wide range of conditions.

Where future capability is tested and proven

Queensland is home to specialised facilities including the Queensland Flight Test Range, Military Integrated Logistics Test and Evaluation Combat Systems centre (MILTECS) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s ReefWorks. These support testing and validation of emerging technologies. They help businesses test new technologies, reduce development risk and bring new products into service more quickly.

Local expertise

Queensland is attracting national and international attention for its strength in hypersonics and space. Companies like Hypersonix Launch Systems are partnering with NASA and the U.S. Department of War to develop scramjet technology capable of propelling a vehicle up to 12 times the speed of sound. Rocket companies such as Black Sky Industries and Gilmour Space Technologies add to Queensland’s credentials in aerospace and space technologies.

Combining leading research, advanced manufacturing expertise and a skilled workforce, Queensland provides a complete environment to design, develop, test and sustain next-generation defence technologies.

Queensland’s advantage

Outside the exclusive defence environment, Queensland hosts a range of test and evaluation organisations, facilities and capabilities.

Queensland is home to eight world-class universities. These provide innovative research, testing, engineering and workforce development capabilities to support Australia’s defence priorities. Queensland’s university sector works closely with Defence, industry and government to translate research into operational capability. These institutions contribute to sovereign capability development, defence innovation and the delivery of a highly skilled workforce, positioning Queensland as a leading hub for defence-related research and technology advancement.

The Queensland Defence Science Alliance (QDSA), a node of the Australian Defence Science and Universities Network, is a university-led initiative funded by the Queensland Government, the Defence Science and Technology Group and its six member universities. The QDSA supports collaborative research between universities and industry to develop capability aligned with Australian Defence Force priority challenges.

More information

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Last updated: 27 Aug 2026