FY26 Annual Report
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
AVA Risk Group Limited
(A.C.N. 064 089 318)
and controlled entities
ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2026
2
Corporate Information
ABN 67 064 089 318
DIRECTORS
David Cronin, Chairman and Non-Executive Director
Mark Stevens, Non-Executive Director
Mike McGeever, Non-Executive Director
Rear Admiral Terence McKnight (USN, Ret.), Non-Executive Director
Bryant Henson, Chief Executive Officer (formal appointment pending receipt of Australian Directors ID)
COMPANY SECRETARIES
Neville Joyce, Kim Larkin
REGISTERED OFFICE & PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS
10 Hartnett Close, Mulgrave, Victoria 3170, Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9590 3100
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Email: investor@theavagroup.com
SHARE REGISTRY
Boardroom Pty Limited Grosvenor Place, Level 12, 225 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
Telephone (within Australia): 1300 737 760
Telephone (outside Australia): +61 2 9290 9600
Facsimile: +61 2 9279 0664
STOCK EXCHANGE
AVA Risk Group Limited shares are quoted on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
ASX Code: AVA
BANKERS
Westpac Banking Corporation 275 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
AUDITORS
BDO Audit Pty Ltd, Collins Place, Level 25, 35 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
WEBSITE
www.theavagroup.com
Information correct as at 28 August 2026
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Chairman's Report
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DEAR FELLOW SHAREHOLDERS AND ASSOCIATES,
FY2026 did not deliver the financial outcome we expected. Several significant project orders moved
into FY2027, constraining reported revenue and earnings. Importantly, the underlying strategic
position of AVA Risk Group Limited (“AVA”, “AVA Group”, “the Company”) strengthened materially
during the year. The Board’s focus has been to ensure that the Company has the leadership, capital,
commercial capability and market access required to convert its differentiated technology into
sustainable growth.
A major step was the appointment of Bryant Henson as Group Chief Executive Officer following an
extensive global search. Bryant commenced on 24 August 2026 and brings deep experience in
defence, aerospace, government, secure communications and critical infrastructure. His career
includes senior leadership roles at Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies, where he led multi-
billion-dollar mission-critical technology businesses, and most recently Otis Worldwide, where he
served as Executive Vice President and Global Head of Strategy and Business Development. His
appointment is deliberately aligned with the Company’s ambition to accelerate growth in the United
States and other international markets.
We also strengthened the commercial organisation. During FY2026, three senior sales leaders in the
United States, Asia-Pacific and Europe each generated annual sales order intake of between $3.9
million and $5.0 million. Additional experienced sales executives were recruited in the United States,
South-East Asia and India, expanding our coverage in markets where AVA has established
technology credentials and a growing opportunity pipeline.
The strategic investment from Hale Capital was another important milestone. AVA secured up to
$7.0 million through a Convertible Loan Note, together with associated warrants of up to $5.6 million.
Hale brings more than capital: it provides experience, networks and market access across US
federal, state, enterprise and critical-infrastructure markets. The subsequent appointment of Rear
Admiral Terence “Terry” McKnight (USN, Ret.) to the Board further strengthens this alignment. Terry
brings more than 40 years of US Navy and defence-industry leadership, including experience
supporting major US Department of Defense programs and relationships with government
stakeholders and prime contractors.
AVA’s technology platform remains the foundation of the investment case. Detect, led by Aura Ai-X,
is increasingly being applied beyond conventional perimeter security into high-consequence
infrastructure including sovereign borders, aviation, rail, energy, telecommunications and subsea
networks. In Access, the five-year UniKey agreement and refreshed reader range create a platform
for mobile, NFC and wallet-enabled credentials, while Dormakaba and other channel relationships
provide routes to market. Illuminate remains focused on disciplined channel growth, OEM
relationships and cross-selling into Detect customers.
The financial result should be viewed with appropriate candour. Revenue and other income was
$28.8 million and underlying EBITDA was positive at $0.1 million. Approximately $6.0 million of
expected orders were delayed into FY2027; no material contracts were lost or cancelled.
Consolidated gross margin remained strong at 63% and operating costs were slightly lower than the
prior year. This matters because much of the technology and operating platform is already
established, providing meaningful operating leverage as revenue grows.
The Board therefore enters FY2027 with a sharper strategy and a clear execution agenda. The
priority is not to reinvent the business; it is to convert the platform that has now been built. In
particular, we are focused on:
• Accelerating the United States, with particular emphasis on federal, defence, government and
critical-infrastructure markets;
• Converting proven Detect applications in aviation, rail, telecommunications and subsea, energy
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Chairman's Report
4
and sovereign border protection into repeat and multi-site deployments;
• Growing higher-quality revenue through recurring services, OEM and channel relationships,
and the commercialisation of the refreshed Access portfolio.
FY2027 is an execution year. The Company enters it with $6.8 million of sales order backlog,
including $2.6 million of contracted annual recurring revenue, a stronger global commercial team and
a clearer concentration of resources on markets where our technology has demonstrated
differentiation. The Board sees a credible pathway to improved revenue, EBITDA and cash
generation if we execute with greater consistency and discipline.
Finally, on behalf of the Board, I thank our shareholders and associates for their continued support,
and I acknowledge the commitment of our management and staff during a year of significant change.
FY2026 was financially disappointing, but the Company exits the year strategically stronger. We now
have the responsibility to translate that progress into measurable financial performance and long-
term shareholder value.
David Cronin
Chairman
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Chief Executive Officer's Report
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Review of Operations
I joined AVA on 24 August 2026, after the end of the financial year under review. I therefore did not
lead the business during FY2026. My initial assessment, however, is clear: AVA has differentiated
technology that has already been validated in demanding security and critical-infrastructure
environments, a high gross-margin business model, and substantially greater addressable-market
potential than is reflected in its current revenue base. The opportunity in FY2027 is to convert those
strengths into more consistent order intake, revenue growth and cash generation.
FY2026 was affected by the timing of several significant projects. Sales order intake was $29.4 million,
broadly in line with FY2025 ($29.9 million), while approximately $6.0 million of anticipated orders
moved into FY2027. No material contracts were lost or cancelled. At the same time, the Company
made meaningful progress in the markets that now form the core of our growth strategy.
• United States, Federal & Defence: The United States is a central strategic priority. FY2026
order intake in the Americas was $6.2 million, supported by corrections and government-
security activity, while $1.9 million of energy and government opportunities remained open at
year end and were carried into FY2027. The Hale partnership, strengthened US commercial
capability, the appointment of Rear Admiral McKnight and my own appointment are deliberately
aligned to building a more substantial position across federal, defence and critical-infrastructure
markets.
• Aviation: AVA completed paid PIDS trials at Canberra and Cairns airports and commenced
comprehensive trials at Melbourne and Perth during H2 FY2026. The identified FY2027
Australian aviation pipeline exceeds $2.0 million. Successful conversion would provide
important reference sites and a pathway to repeat deployments as Australian airports
modernise perimeter security.
• Rail & Transportation: The Sydney Metro deployment with UGL is a strategically important
reference installation for Aura Ai-X corridor intrusion and obstacle detection. During FY2026 the
Company successfully tested object-detection capability on the live rail corridor, a critical
milestone towards project completion. The application has expanded beyond the original scope
into additional transport infrastructure, demonstrating the potential for technology adoption to
grow within a customer once performance is proven. Completion of Sydney Metro is expected
to make a broader set of Australian rail opportunities addressable and provides a reference for
international opportunities.
• Telecommunications & Subsea: AVA continued its collaboration with Telstra, including data
collection from Aura Ai-X deployed on a subsea cable in northern Sydney and participation in
Telstra marketing initiatives demonstrating protection of critical telecommunications
infrastructure. The strategic importance of subsea and terrestrial communications networks is
increasing, creating a significant long-term application for fibre sensing across cable landing
infrastructure, terrestrial routes and network facilities.
• Energy & India: The Company successfully fulfilled a $2.7 million contract to deploy fibre
sensing technology to a critical pipeline in the Indian energy sector. This builds on AVA’s prior
success in Indian defence and provides a significant reference for further opportunities across
pipelines, storage, processing and other critical-energy infrastructure. India remains an
important FY2027 growth market across both energy and defence.
• Sovereign Borders & Government: AVA supplied detection systems for border protection in
Latvia, building on prior success in Eastern Europe. A $2.8 million Middle East sovereign-border
opportunity was delayed by regional conflict and moved into FY2027. The Company was also
appointed as a prequalified supplier to the Australian Department of Home Affairs Border
Protection Technologies Panel for an initial five-year term from 1 July 2026, providing a
structured procurement pathway for Commonwealth border-security and critical-infrastructure
opportunities.
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Chief Executive Officer's Report
6
• Access: BQT entered into a five-year Master Supply and Services Agreement with UniKey to
co-develop five next-generation NFC/BLE reader form factors. The agreement includes
minimum purchase commitments and is anticipated to generate $4.6 million of revenue over five
years, subject to successful completion of the co-developed products. Alongside the refreshed
reader range and dormakaba distribution network, this provides a clearer platform for growth in
North America, Europe and other markets.
• Illuminate: The strategy is deliberately focused: grow through distributor and OEM
relationships, expand in the United States and use the installed Detect customer base to create
cross-sell opportunities. This approach is intended to increase revenue while maintaining
discipline around fixed-cost investment.
Financial Review
A$m FY26 FY25 Change
Revenue & Other Income 28.8 31.7 (2.9)
Underlying EBITDA* 0.1 2.1 (2.1)
Loss After Tax (3.2) (6.5) 3.3
Reconciliation of Underlying
EBITDA*
FY26 FY25 Change
Underlying EBITDA 0.1 2.1 (2.1)
Impairment of Goodwill (0.7) (5.6) 4.9
Impairment of Intangibles (0.4) - (0.4)
Depreciation & Amortisation (3.8) (3.5) (0.3)
Finance Expense (0.7) (0.2) (0.5)
Foreign Exchange Gain /
(Loss)
0.7 0.1 0.6
Fair value gain on financial
liabilities
1.8 0.0 1.8
Tax (Expense) / Benefit 0 0.7 (0.7)
Loss After Tax (3.2) (6.5) 3.3
*EBITDA is unaudited
Revenue and other income for FY2026 was $28.8 million, $2.9 million below the prior year, principally
reflecting project timing in Detect. Consolidated gross margin remained strong at 63% and operating
costs were slightly lower than FY2025. Underlying EBITDA remained positive at $0.1 million despite the
lower revenue outcome. At 30 June 2026, the Company had a cash balance of $5.3 million and sales
order backlog of $6.8 million, including $2.6 million of contracted annual recurring revenue.
The statutory net loss of $3.2 million included impairment charges against intangible assets and
goodwill of $1.1 million. The statutory net loss was $3.3 million less than the prior year, which included
a $5.6 million impairment charge against goodwill. The combination of sustainable gross margins, an
established technology platform and a scalable operating cost base creates meaningful earnings
leverage if the Company improves revenue conversion.
Outlook
FY2027 is focused on execution. The Company expects performance to be significantly stronger than
FY2026, with management concentrating on converting existing opportunities and demonstrating the
operating leverage inherent in the business model. The key priorities are:
• Convert the $6.8 million opening backlog and delayed FY2026 opportunities into revenue and
cash, while improving forecasting discipline and pipeline conversion;
• Accelerate the United States under new leadership, with particular focus on federal, defence,
corrections, energy and other critical-infrastructure customers;
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Chief Executive Officer's Report
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• Scale Detect across six priority markets: US Federal & Defence, telecommunications & subsea,
aviation, rail & transportation, energy & critical infrastructure, and sovereign border protection;
• Commercialise the refreshed Access portfolio, execute the UniKey program and expand
dormakaba and other distribution channels;
• Grow Illuminate through targeted distributor, OEM and US cross-sell opportunities while
maintaining cost discipline;
• Maintain consolidated gross margins in the 60% - 64% range and a stable, scalable operating
cost base so that incremental revenue can translate into stronger EBITDA and cash generation;
• Increase the quality and predictability of revenue through recurring services, repeat
deployments, multi-site programs and strategic channel relationships;
• Leverage established technology platforms in each operating segment, which require minimal
incremental development effort to scale as revenue grows.
Bryant Henson,
Chief Executive Officer
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
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Table of Contents
Directors’ Report ..........................................................................................................9
Auditor’s Independence Declaration ..........................................................................33
Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income..............34
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position .............................................................35
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows ......................................................................36
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity ............................................................37
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements .......................................................38
Directors' Declaration...................................................................................................88
Independent Auditor’s report......................................................................................89
Shareholder Information .............................................................................................95
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Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Directors' Report
Directors’ Report
The directors present their report together with the financial report of the Consolidated Entity
(referred to hereafter as the “Group” or “Consolidated Entity”) consisting of AVA Risk Group Limited
(referred to hereafter as the “Company” or “AVA Risk Group” or "AVA Group") and the entities it
controlled for the financial year ended 30 June 2026 and auditor’s report thereon.
Directors
The names of directors in office at any time during or since the end of the year are detailed in the
table below. The directors have been in office since the start of the year to the date of this report
unless otherwise stated.
Information on Company Directors and Company Secretaries
The qualifications, experience and special responsibilities of each person who has been a director of
AVA Group at any time since 1 July 2025 to the date of this report is provided below, together with
details of the company secretaries as at the year end.
Name, qualifications,
and independence
status
Experience, special responsibilities and other directorships
David Cronin David has over 25 years professional experience and more than 15 years of
international experience at the director/chairman board level. David is
presently the Managing Director of the investment & consulting group
Pierce Group Asia where he is responsible for its technology focussed
corporate development and investment activities.
Chairman of the Board
(Appointed 31 August
2018)
Non-Executive Director
(Appointed 10 April
2018)
Previous to his role at Pierce Group Asia, David was an investment
manager for the London listed Guinness Peat Group PLC and Director of
M&A for its technology focussed division. Working for several large financial
and non-financial institutions, David has been involved in various advisory,
executive level and board positions with several early to mid-stage
technology companies.
David has extensive knowledge of AVA Group and the security markets that
it services. He has more than 10 years of board level experience within
AVA Risk Group, having previously served as a Director and Chairman of
AVA Group prior to its IPO.
Mr Cronin is not a director of any other ASX listed entity in the last
three years.
Mike McGeever
Non-Executive Director
(Appointed 8 August
2018)
Mr McGeever has over 35 years’ experience in the military, facilities and
securities sectors. Prior to his retirement in 2015, Mr McGeever was the
Managing Director and founder of Transguard Group LLC, a UAE based
security and facilities management company and one of the largest security
companies in the world, employing 55,000 staff. Prior to that he held senior
positions in a range of security and facilities focussed companies.
Mr McGeever has a Master of Business Administration from the University
of Portsmouth (England).
Mr McGeever is not a director of any other ASX listed entity in the last three
years.
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Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Directors' Report
Mark Stevens
Non-Executive Director
(Appointed 11 March 2015)
Rear Admiral Terence
“Terry” McKnight (USN,
Ret.)
Non-Executive Director
(Appointed 21 July 2026)
Bryant Henson
Group Chief Executive Officer
(Appointment pending)
Mark is an accomplished executive and company director with more
than 40 years of leadership experience across the
telecommunications, defence and information technology sectors.
He has held senior executive roles with multinational corporations
headquartered in the United States, Singapore, Sweden and
Australia, leading regional sales, technology, operations and general
management functions. Mark holds a Master of Business
Administration from the University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of
Engineering from Monash University, and is a Graduate Member of
the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
He is not a director of any other ASX listed entity in the last three
years.
Terry brings more than forty years of distinguished leadership across
the U.S. Navy and defence industry. He most recently served as
Senior Vice President, Customer and Government Relations at CAES
by Honeywell, where he played a key role in driving growth across
major U.S. Department of Defense programs and strengthening
relationships with government stakeholders and prime contractors.
During his military career, Terry held a number of senior command
roles, including Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Two, and
the inaugural Commander of Combined Task Force 151, leading
multinational counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
Terry is not a director of any other ASX listed entity in the last three
years.
Bryant Henson was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer
effective 24 August 2026. Bryant will also be appointed as an
Executive Director subject to receipt of an Australian Directors ID.
Bryant is an internationally experienced technology, defence and
critical infrastructure executive with more than two decades of
leadership experience building and scaling global businesses
serving defence, aerospace, government, critical infrastructure and
commercial security markets.
Throughout his career, Bryant has developed extensive experience
leading complex international technology businesses, building high
performing commercial organisations, executing strategic growth
initiatives and developing long-term relationships with government,
defence and critical infrastructure customers across the United
States and internationally.
Bryant is not a director of any other ASX listed entity in the last three
years.
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Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Directors' Report
Joint Company Secretaries
Neville Joyce
Appointed 3 November 2021
Neville is a highly experienced financial and commercial executive with proven expertise across
multiple sectors including energy, mining, technology and manufacturing. With extensive experience
in leadership, management and strategic financial analysis, Neville has held senior finance positions
at Origin and Energy Australia including roles as Chief Financial Officer and Divisional Head of
Finance. Prior to joining AVA Group, Neville was Group Chief Financial Officer at Redflex Holdings
Limited from 2017 to 2021. Neville is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Business.
Kim Larkin
Appointed 20 January 2017
Kim is an experienced business professional with 24 years’ experience in the banking and finance
industries and 7 years as a Company Secretary (in-house) of an ASX300 company. Her experience
includes debt and capital raising, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, compliance and
governance. Kim currently acts as Company Secretary to various ASX listed and unlisted
companies in Australia and is the Head of Corporate Services for Boardroom Pty Limited’s
Queensland office.
Malcolm Maginnis Previous Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director –
appointed on 9 January 2023. Mr. Maginnis ceased to be a Director on 20
November 2025.
Malcolm has more than 35 years of experience in the defence, security,
safety and technology industries. Mal served as President of Rapiscan
Systems from July 2017 until September 2022 – a US-headquartered global
manufacturer of security equipment and systems.
Prior to joining Rapiscan, Malcolm was head of Iveagh Technology a
technology development company based in Singapore and part owner of
SX Technologies, a Sydney-based detection company. He was also
President of Smiths Detection from 2011 to 2014.
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Directors' Report
12
Directors' Meetings
The number of meetings of the board of directors and of each board committee held during the
financial year and the number of meetings attended by each director are:
D Cronin M Stevens M McGeever M Maginnis
Board of Directors' Meetings
Eligible to attend 12 12 12 4
Attended 12 12 12 4
Meetings of Audit & Risk Committee
Eligible to attend 5 5 5 -
Attended 5 5 5 -
Meetings of Remuneration &
Nomination Committee
Eligible to attend 3 3 3 -
Attended 3 3 3 -
Committee Membership
As at the date of this report, the Company had an Audit & Risk Committee, and a Remuneration &
Nomination Committee of the Board of Directors. Members acting on the committees of the Board
during the year were:
Audit & Risk Committee Remuneration and Nomination Committee
M Stevens (Chairman) M McGeever (Chairman)
D Cronin D Cronin
M McGeever M Stevens
Gender Diversity Policy
The Remuneration & Nomination Committee is responsible for setting the diversity policy of the
Company.
The Committee has established a diversity policy for the Company, which is disclosed on the
Company website. Measurable objectives for achieving gender diversity have been set with the
Company assessing annually both the objectives and the entity’s progress in achieving them. The
Company has set an objective to ensure that the representation of women across the business is
25%.
During the year ended 30 June 2026, women represented 28% of the business. Whilst AVA Group
particularly focuses on narrowing the gap in gender representation across all levels, it strives for
equal development opportunities for all employees, irrespective of gender, cultural, physical
capabilities, or other differences.
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Directors' Report
13
Directors’ Interests in shares or performance rights
As at 30 June 2026, the interests of the directors in the shares and performance rights of AVA
Group are as detailed below:
Number of
ordinary
shares
Number of
performance
rights
Number of
performance
rights
forfeited /
exercised
during the
year
D Cronin 33,750,706 - 200,000
M Stevens 1,821,780 - 200,000
M McGeever 6,005,000 - 200,000
M Maginnis 1,000,000 - 2,833,333
Principal activities
The principal activities of the Consolidated Entity during the financial year were:
the provision of security technology products for perimeter intrusion detection solutions;
the development, manufacture and supply of high quality, high security card and biometric
readers, electromechanical locks and related electronic security products; and
manufacture and supply of professional external security and intruder detection equipment
including ANPR cameras, lighting controllers and infrared and white-light LED Illuminators.
Review of Operations
I joined AVA on 24 August 2026, after the end of the financial year under review. I therefore did not
lead the business during FY2026. My initial assessment, however, is clear: AVA has differentiated
technology that has already been validated in demanding security and critical-infrastructure
environments, a high gross-margin business model, and substantially greater addressable-market
potential than is reflected in its current revenue base. The opportunity in FY2027 is to convert those
strengths into more consistent order intake, revenue growth and cash generation.
FY2026 was affected by the timing of several significant projects. Sales order intake was
$29,400,000, broadly in line with FY2025 ($29,900,000), while approximately $6,000,000 of
anticipated orders moved into FY2027. No material contracts were lost or cancelled. At the same
time, the Company made meaningful progress in the markets that now form the core of our growth
strategy.
• United States, Federal & Defence: The United States is a central strategic priority. FY2026
order intake in the Americas was $6,200,000, supported by corrections and government-
security activity, while $1,900,000 of energy and government opportunities remained open at
year end and were carried into FY2027. The Hale partnership, strengthened US commercial
capability, the appointment of Rear Admiral McKnight and my own appointment are
deliberately aligned to building a more substantial position across federal, defence and critical-
infrastructure markets.
Annual Report 2026 | AVA Group
Directors' Report
14
• Aviation: AVA completed paid PIDS trials at Canberra and Cairns airports and commenced
comprehensive trials at Melbourne and Perth during H2 FY2026. The identified FY2027
Australian aviation pipeline exceeds $2,000,000. Successful conversion would provide
important reference sites and a pathway to repeat deployments as Australian airports
modernise perimeter security.
• Rail & Transportation: The Sydney Metro deployment with UGL is a strategically important
reference installation for Aura Ai-X corridor intrusion and obstacle detection. During FY2026
the Company successfully tested object-detection capability on the live rail corridor, a critical
milestone towards project completion. The application has expanded beyond the original
scope into additional transport infrastructure, demonstrating the potential for technology
adoption to grow within a customer once performance is proven. Completion of Sydney Metro
is expected to make a broader set of Australian rail opportunities addressable and provides a
reference for international opportunities.
• Telecommunications & Subsea: AVA continued its collaboration with Telstra, including data
collection from Aura Ai-X deployed on a subsea cable in northern Sydney and participation in
Telstra marketing initiatives demonstrating protection of critical telecommunications
infrastructure. The strategic importance of subsea and terrestrial communications networks is
increasing, creating a significant long-term application for fibre sensing across cable landing
infrastructure, terrestrial routes and network facilities.
• Energy & India: The Company successfully fulfilled a $2,700,000 contract to deploy fibre
sensing technology to a critical pipeline in the Indian energy sector. This builds on AVA’s prior
success in Indian defence and provides a significant reference for further opportunities across
pipelines, storage, processing and other critical-energy infrastructure. India remains an
important FY2027 growth market across both energy and defence.
• Sovereign Borders & Government: AVA supplied detection systems for border protection in
Latvia, building on prior success in Eastern Europe. A $2,800,000 Middle East sovereign-
border opportunity was delayed by regional conflict and moved into FY2027. The Company
was also appointed as a prequalified
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