Photo and article courtesy of Nova Systems Autralia.

Nova Systems CEO Dean Rosenfield has urged Australia to accelerate the development of sovereign Defence capability in peacetime, warning that preparedness can no longer be deferred in an increasingly uncertain strategic environment.

Addressing the Indian Ocean Defence and Security (IODS) Conference in Perth this week, Mr Rosenfield said sovereignty has shifted from a theoretical concept to an immediate, practical challenge for government, Defence and industry.

“Sovereignty today is not an abstract idea or policy slogan,” Mr Rosenfield said. “It is a practical question: can Australia act when it matters most, sustain itself under pressure, and do so at the speed the strategic environment now demands?”

Speaking on “Sovereignty in a time of need – A Defence Industry Perspective”, Mr Rosenfield drew on the 2026 National Defence Strategy, international experience and industry insights to argue that sovereign capability must be built deliberately before a crisis emerges.

He said the Strategy makes clear Australia faces its most challenging strategic circumstances since the Second World War, with shorter warning times and less tolerance for fragility in national systems.

“If we want sovereign outcomes in crisis, we must build sovereign systems in peacetime,” he said. Mr Rosenfield outlined a shift in thinking from sovereignty as ownership to sovereignty as preparedness, underpinned by four critical foundations: access, authority, adaptability and endurance.

He pointed to lessons from Sweden’s “total Defence” model, where government, Defence and industry operate as an integrated system and industry is treated as a strategic capability rather than an external supplier.

“Preparedness is not something that can be switched on at the moment of need—it must be designed, invested in and practiced over time,” he said.

Mr Rosenfield also highlighted the growing role of industry in sustaining, adapting and assuring Defence capability, noting that sovereign outcomes are often exercised through independent technical judgement, knowledge continuity and enterprise-level capability.

He said Australia must now act deliberately to strengthen its Defence ecosystem, including investing in workforce capability, building supply chain resilience and sharing risk more effectively between Defence and industry.

“The cost of readiness is visible. The cost of unreadiness is strategic failure,” he said.

Mr Rosenfield concluded that sovereignty in a time of need is ultimately demonstrated—not declared.

“It is demonstrated when systems can adapt, when sustainment holds under pressure, and when Australia can decide and act at speed, what matters now is whether we prepare before the time of need.”

The IODS Conference brings together Defence, government and industry leaders to address regional security challenges and opportunities.

Read Dean’s extended speech from IODs on the Nova Systems website.