What’s happening?
Lieutenant Commander Kieran Davis and his Toowoomba-based team have delivered significant combat system upgrades to HMAS Toowoomba and the wider Anzac fleet, resolving legacy issues and improving radar and combat performance. Their success earned Davis a Conspicuous Service Medal in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours.
Why it matters
The upgrades directly enhance operational readiness and capability across Australia’s Anzac-class ships. Davis’s leadership ensured complex technical issues were clearly communicated and addressed, delivering lasting improvements across the fleet.
Local Impact
This recognition highlights the technical excellence and leadership emerging from Toowoomba’s defence community. The HMAS Toowoomba crew’s work has elevated Australia’s naval capability and showcases local talent contributing to national security.
By the numbers
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The Anzac fleet includes 8 Anzac-class frigates serving across the Royal Australian Navy.
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Davis brings nearly 15 years of weapons electrical engineering experience to the project.
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The enhancements address legacy issues impacting multiple ships across the fleet, not just HMAS Toowoomba.
Zoom In
Davis said the achievement stemmed from “teamwork and trust.” He explained, “I had a highly effective team and I just tried to empower them, remove barriers and help frame the problems so we could actually solve them.”
He also emphasised leadership style: “It’s about understanding what motivates people, giving clear direction and creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to do their best work.”
Davis noted the importance of bridging gaps between technical design and operational use. “It’s about bridging the gap between system developers and end users, so that issues with system performance are communicated clearly and the right people can take effective action,” he said.
Zoom Out
The experience revealed how communication gaps between design intent and real-world operation can hinder system performance. Davis’s leadership helped align stakeholder understanding, improved system functionality, and built fleet-wide capability.
What to look for next?
Expect further enhancements and sustained focus on combat system performance across the Anzac fleet, with lessons from Toowoomba’s success informing future upgrades and engineering leadership practices.