Australian Defence Startup Millibeam Unveils Drone Jammer With A$4.6M Government Backing
Synopsis
Millibeam's Rakurai uses custom-designed chips and antennas to target multiple drone frequencies from a lightweight system designed for individual soldiers, as Australia strengthens sovereign defence technology.
Millibeam, a Sydney-based start-up, has developed an interferometric system, codenamed Rakurai, which will have the capability to disrupt several radio frequencies drones use to communicate.
The Millibeam drone jammer uses modified chips and antennas and is at Technology Readiness Level 5, according to the company’s findings this week. It is designed to be worn by a single soldier.
It has received around A$4.6 million in federal government funding; however, the sum is allocated between two projects as opposed to one for Rakurai.
A$2.616 million was awarded under the Industry Growth Program for Millibeam's FARBEAM 5G platform, and A$2 million was granted to the company through the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative to fund next generation semiconductor chipsets for 5G millimetre-wave radios. The value of the two awards reaches A$4.616 million.
According to the federal government’s register of grants, the Supply Chain Resilience project’s value totals $4.48m.
Defence Spending Creates Wider Demand
Australia is ramping up investments in technology to counter drones, with the Millibeam drone jammer set to enter the market.
In April, the federal government announced A$7 billion over 10 years to counter-drone capabilities. This is part of a larger (A$22 billion) in funding for drone, counter-drone and autonomous-system technologies in the 2026 Integrated Investment Program.
Under Mission Syracuse, the government has already allocated A$21.3 million to AIM Defence, and A$10.4 million to SYPAQ Systems for counter-drone systems.
The Millibeam drone jammer is another step in the direction for Australia’s defence technology self-sufficiency as it comes on the heels of Breakthrough Victoria’s A$3 million investment in the company in July 2024 to commercialise Millibeam’s millimetre-wave radio chipsets for 5G and 6G communications.
The nation is set to boost its spending on domestic defence technology, with a focus on greater strategic autonomy in areas such as semiconductors and communications technology, such as the drone jammer Millibeam is developing.
Source: Startup Daily
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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