Page 19: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2021)

elanie Olsen is harness- ate program that gave her the opportunity “Civilization ing 10 years of missile to conduct three six-month rotations defense and electronic across Defense, helping to build and sus- was built on

M warfare systems exper- tain Defense capabilities. When she got tise to drive rapid technological inno- to maritime electronic warfare systems people giving it vation in marine research and moni- and missiles, she found her niche.

toring. The AIMS Team Leader for For 10 years, Olsen worked closely a crack. Don’t go

Technology Development Engineering with project teams in Canberra, Ade- shares her unique journey. laide and the U.S. in the design, acquisi- in worrying you tion and sustainment of future maritime

Growing up in a third-generation farm- electronic warfare technology, such as are not capable ing family near the small settlement of the Nulka hovering rocket active mis-

El Arish in north Queensland, Melanie sile decoy system. After hours, Olsen or good enough.

Olsen thought engineers were train driv- also studied part-time and obtained a ers. When a James Cook University en- Masters in Electronic Warfare Systems

You’ll learn as gineering lecturer visited her small ru- Engineering from UNSW.

ral high school with a quad helicopter, She discovered she had a talent for you go, and soon

Olsen knew she’d found her career path translating science-speak to the engi- you’ll realize that and studied computer systems engineer- neers and stakeholders and engineering- ing at James Cook University. speak to the scientists and project manag- no one has all the

She was accepted into the Defense Ma- ers. “I hardly ever noticed I was the only terial Organization (now Capability Ac- female in the room until people pointed answers.” quisition and Sustainment Group) gradu- it out,” she said. Once, when meeting her

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