Latest Defence News

Katana Capital Limited (ASX:KAT) delivered a 17.98% gross investment return in FY2026, beating the All Ordinaries by 15.55 percentage points as its portfolio benefited from defence, infrastructure, resources and technology exposures. Net profit rose to $3.808 million, while the listed investment company entered FY2027 with elevated cash and a deliberately cautious stance on banks.

HITIQ has secured a $1.5 million R&D tax incentive loan facility and drawn half the available funding, providing immediate liquidity while adding interest-bearing debt. The arrangement with a related party also puts shareholder approval of proposed security in focus.

Southern Cross Gold’s Sunday Creek project has cleared its first formal mining licence hurdle, with Resources Victoria accepting a 30.7-hectare application covering the Golden Dyke workings. The milestone begins a public assessment process, but does not yet authorise mining.

AdAlta has secured a formal US FDA pre-IND meeting for EW-001, moving its mesothelioma CAR-T therapy into a critical regulatory review. The November meeting will test the company’s Australian manufacturing, remaining studies and proposed Phase 1 trial before the more expensive stages of development begin.

KTEK Aerosystems has won a binding US$200,000 order to design an airframe component for an unnamed Israeli aerospace and defence manufacturer. The order opens a quoted US$994,100 work package and a potential US$5 million design-engineering opportunity, but almost all of that future work remains conditional.

American Tungsten & Antimony has produced antimony ingot from Arizona-mined material at its Nevada refinery, providing the first physical demonstration of its proposed US mine-to-metal chain. The milestone creates samples for testing and customer qualification, but the underlying asset acquisition remains incomplete and product quality is yet to be disclosed.

Innovaero Technologies is seeking A$40 million through a proposed ASX listing to advance its OWL loitering munition program and expand manufacturing capacity. The replacement prospectus also makes clear that the company remains loss-making and heavily dependent on the Department of Defence converting development work into production orders.

Ionic Rare Earths is pushing toward commercial magnet recycling in Belfast and the United States, but its FY2026 report flags a material uncertainty over its ability to continue as a going concern. The company reported a larger A$14.9 million loss and A$13.9 million in operating cash outflows, despite government support and new strategic partnerships.

Codan Limited (ASX:CDA) has entered FY27 with record revenue, profit and a sharply larger Communications orderbook, while targeting approximately 20% Communications revenue growth. The forecast is conditional on supply-chain capacity as demand for unmanned systems and new gold detectors accelerates.

AML3D has secured an initial AU$0.5 million order to manufacture three high-pressure copper-nickel components for US Navy nuclear submarines. The deal moves its Ohio operation from qualification programs into paid production, although delivery, testing and commissioning remain outstanding.

Thrive Tribe Technologies is developing WooBoard CARE, a free-to-use directory intended to help Australian veterans find allied health providers accepting DVA Veteran Cards and taking new clients. The initial build targets physiotherapy and psychology across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Ipswich, with providers potentially paying subscriptions for verified listings.

Dyno Nobel has reaffirmed its FY26 outlook and retained its A$600 million FY28 underlying EBIT ambition, while setting a new A$800 million target for FY31. The explosives maker is positioning defence energetics, premium technology and growth in mining markets as the next leg of expansion.