South Australia — Australia and Japan have completed the first field trials of their jointly developed Boobook high-energy laser system at test sites in South Australia, marking the first co-development project between Australian and Japanese defence industries.
The trials were conducted at the Cultana Training Area and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) facility in Edinburgh. The Boobook program brings together DSTG, Mitsubishi Electric Australia (MEA) and its Tokyo-based parent company, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO).
Australia’s Defence Department said the project builds on more than two decades of laser research by DSTG. The department has not released specific performance information from the trials, including the system’s power output, range or other technical figures.
Laser Designed for Surveillance and Protection
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the laser capability can be deployed on land combat platforms and littoral platforms.
According to Marles, the system is intended to provide greater protection and situational awareness by using laser technology to optically detect incoming threats.
The system is named after the Australian boobook owl, a species known for its ability to see in low-light conditions.
The recent trials generated data on the system’s design and technical requirements. That information will be used to guide the next stages of development and potential commercialisation.
The Australian government has not yet announced when Boobook will move into its next development phase or when it could enter operational testing with the Australian Defence Force.
Australia-Japan Defence Technology Cooperation
The Boobook trials are part of the broader expansion of defence cooperation between Australia and Japan.
The project follows a May 4 agreement between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to expand defence and security cooperation between the two countries.
The announcement of the trials also coincided with talks in Canberra on August 18 between Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. The two defence ministers discussed military training, joint operations and technology sharing as part of their wider defence cooperation.
Australia and Japan have previously identified Boobook as a major area of defence-industrial cooperation. In 2025, their defence ministers described it as the first co-development project between Japanese and Australian defence industries.
The two countries have also been expanding cooperation in defence research, technology and testing. Australia’s Defence Department previously described the laser project as a collaboration between DSTG, MEA and MELCO aimed at developing and transitioning laser technology for Australian Defence Force applications.
Mitsubishi Electric Plans Australian Manufacturing Facility
The project is also linked to new industrial investment in Australia.
Mitsubishi Electric Australia is establishing a new facility in Rydalmere, New South Wales, to support large-scale domestic manufacturing of the laser system.
The company is investing $70 million in the site. The facility will house the newly established MEA Defence Division and is intended to support manufacturing in Australia while improving local access to Mitsubishi Electric’s wider defence technologies.
Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the project demonstrates cooperation with Japan to develop technologies that address capability requirements of the Australian Defence Force.
Conroy also said the Rydalmere investment would support advanced manufacturing, technology transfer and workforce growth.
Part of Australia’s Wider High-Energy Laser Research
Boobook is one part of Australia’s broader work on high-energy laser technologies.
In 2023, DSTG and QinetiQ Australia signed an agreement involving QinetiQ’s coherent beam combining technology and DSTG’s high-power amplifiers. That separate program resulted in Australia’s first scalable high-power laser optical chain prototype demonstration in 2025.
The QinetiQ program is separate from the Boobook project.
The latest Boobook trials provide Australia and Japan with field-testing experience for their jointly developed laser technology. The data collected during the trials will support decisions on the system’s future design, development and possible commercialisation.
No timeline has yet been announced for Boobook’s next development phase or its potential transition to operational testing with the Australian Defence Force.
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