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Media Release
Embassy of Australia
Office of Public Affairs
Washington DC
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 May 2006
Contact: Chelsey Martin
(202) 797-3165
BILATERAL ARRANGEMENT ON COLLABORATIVE
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM
Australia and the United States on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate collaborative research and development related to counter terrorism. The MOU allows for combined R&D of up to USD100 million over the next ten years.
The MOU was signed at the Pentagon by Australia’s Secretary for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Peter Shergold and the US Assistant Secretary of Defense, Thomas O’Connell.
This arrangement will allow the Australian research community to collaborate with the US through the Technical Support Working Group. The objective of the arrangement will be to develop counter-terrorism technology, eliminate unnecessary duplication of work and obtain the most effective outcomes through research and development. Australian and US researchers will test and evaluate existing and newly developed prototype technology in the laboratory and in operational settings.
Joint collaborative activities will focus on developing technologies and capabilities that will help deter, detect and identify terrorists, neutralise their weapons and reduce the probability of terrorist incidents.
The arrangement will be managed in Australia through the National Security Science and Technology Unit within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The arrangement is in addition to the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United States of America on Cooperation in Science and Technology for Homeland/Domestic Security Matters that was signed on 21 December 2005.
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