Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne has participated in the official opening of Raytheon Australia’s next-generation Customer Engagement Centre at the company’s corporate headquarters in Canberra.

Minister Pyne was joined by chairman and chief executive officer of Raytheon Company Dr Thomas A Kennedy and Raytheon Australia managing director Michael Ward.

The new centre features a cave automatic virtual environment (or CAVE) that leverages virtual-reality technology within a structure consisting of 72 large video screens positioned in a 320-degree arrangement, Raytheon stated.

The CAVE uses stereoscopic projection and 3-D computer graphics, and can be linked to similar facilities in the US, allowing real-time collaboration across international teams.

In addition to the facility in Canberra, a smaller portable version of this capability will allow interaction between Raytheon and its small business suppliers.

“The Customer Engagement Centre brings defence technology to life for customers and engineers in ways never before possible through cutting-edge virtual reality,” said Ward.

“As the nation’s leading integrator of mission systems, we will utilise this centre to create opportunities for innovation and collaboration with Defence and our supplier partners.”