Documents and Reports on the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems in Australia
: Deborah-May: Torrens made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Defence
Dear Department of Defence,
I request documents and reports under the FOI Act 1982, that relate to experiments and the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems in Australia.
Kind regards,
:Deborah-May: Torrens
OFFICIAL
Dear Deborah-May,
Acknowledgement
I refer to your correspondence of 24 July 2024 seeking access to
documents held by the Department of Defence (Defence), under the Freedom
of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). This email is to advise you that your
request has been received and allocated for Case Management.
The scope of your request is:
I request documents and reports under the FOI Act 1982, that relate to
experiments and the use of Direct Energy Weapons (DEW) in Australia.
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Kind regards
Freedom of Information Team
Media and Information Disclosure Branch
Ministerial & Executive Coordination and Communication Division
Department of Defence
[2]Freedom of information requests | About | Defence
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OFFICIAL
Dear Deborah-May,
I refer to your correspondence of 24 July 2024 seeking access to documents
held by the Department of Defence (Defence), under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The scope of your request is:
…I request documents and reports under the FOI Act 1982, that relate to
experiments and the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems in Australia.
Preliminary searches have indicated that to process your request in its
current form may result in a unreasonable diversion of resources. As such,
we are seeking further information about the documents you are seeking
access to.
The term ‘Autonomous Weapons Systems’ is broad and Defence would be
grateful for additional information to assist in the processing of your
request. For example, you may wish to focus on a particular area of the
department or include further keywords to assist officials undertaking
database searches. Further, Defence would be grateful for a timeframe for
your request.
I would be grateful for your response by 31 July 2024.
Thank you and regards
Freedom of Information Team
Media and Information Disclosure Branch
Ministerial & Executive Coordination and Communication Division
Department of Defence
[1]Freedom of information requests | About | Defence
IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Department of Defence.
Unauthorised communication and dealing with the information in the email
may be a serious criminal offence. If you have received this email in
error, you are requested to contact the sender and delete the email
immediately.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.defence.gov.au/about/accessi...
Dear FOI Case Management, Freedom of Information Team, Media and Information Disclosure Branch, Ministerial & Executive Coordination and Communication Division, Department of Defence,
Thank you for your response to my FOI request dated 24 July 2024, regarding documents and reports on experiments and the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems in Australia.
To assist in narrowing the scope of my request, I am providing additional details. I am specifically interested in documents and reports from the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and the Australian Army related to:
1. Development, testing, and deployment of Autonomous Weapons Systems between January 1, 2018, and July 24, 2024.
2. Ethical guidelines, risk assessments, and safety protocols associated with the use of Autonomous Weapons Systems during the same period.
3. Collaborations with external entities (universities, private sector companies, and international partners) on Autonomous Weapons Systems research and development from January 1, 2018, to July 24, 2024.
4. Instances of field testing or live deployment of Autonomous Weapons Systems within Australia, including dates, locations, frequency and outcomes, from January 1, 2018, to July 24, 2024.
Please let me know if this refined scope is more manageable or if further adjustments are necessary.
Thank you for your assistance.
In good will and faith, without malice, discrimination or prejudice.
Sincerely,
Deborah-May Torrens
OFFICIAL
Dear Deborah-May
Please find attached a letter in relation to Defence FOI 075/24/25.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Team
Media and Information Disclosure Branch
Ministerial & Executive Coordination and Communication Division
Department of Defence
[1]Freedom of information requests | About | Defence
IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Department of Defence.
Unauthorised communication and dealing with the information in the email
may be a serious criminal offence. If you have received this email in
error, you are requested to contact the sender and delete the email
immediately.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.defence.gov.au/about/accessi...