Gerry Bluett’s contribution to The Aurelian Order is grounded in more than four decades of involvement in defence capability, systems engineering, and large-scale program delivery, operating at the intersection of government, industry, and coalition partners.

His career spans senior executive, board, and advisory roles across Australian and allied defence environments, with sustained responsibility for capability development, cost estimation, systems architecture, and program governance. Gerry has worked extensively with the Australian Defence Force, the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and allied institutions on programmes where technical complexity, financial discipline, and interoperability must be reconciled over long time horizons.

Gerry began his professional life in the Royal Australian Navy as a Naval Supply Officer, an experience that established a practical understanding of logistics, procurement, and operational consequence. He later moved into senior commercial and systems roles across major defence and technology organisations, including Tenix Defence Systems, Telstra, AAI Australia, Aurecon, CAE Australia, NovaSystems, and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

A defining aspect of Gerry’s work has been his leadership in simulation, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and costed capability assessment. He has played a central role in the development and application of frameworks such as FACT (Framework for Assessing the Cost of Technology) and set-based design methodologies, supporting disciplined Analysis of Alternatives across naval, air, and joint force capabilities. His work has informed major Defence White Paper analysis, force design processes, and the integration of new platforms into fleet and force structures.

As Chief Executive Officer of Novonics Oceania, Gerry has led defence project management activities for both the ADF and allied partners, with particular focus on training systems, synthetic environments, and interoperability. He has also served in governance roles across industry and professional bodies, including as Treasurer and Board Member of Simulation Australasia, contributing to the advancement of simulation technologies across government, academia, and industry.

Gerry’s experience includes deep engagement with uncrewed systems, electronic warfare, maritime warfare training, and coalition readiness architectures, as well as extensive work across the United States, Asia-Pacific, and allied defence markets. His perspective is shaped by repeated exposure to where programmes succeed or fail: not through intent, but through system design, cost realism, integration discipline, and institutional follow-through.

Within The Aurelian Order, Gerry serves in a custodial capacity where matters involve defence systems, capability development, simulation, costed force design, and complex programme governance. His role is to help ensure that collective examination remains anchored in technical reality, financial integrity, and the long-term consequences of capability decisions across sovereign and coalition environments.