Aeronautical Research Laboratory News

Australia's Assistant Minister for Defence, Stuart Robert, has announced that the Canberra headquarters of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is being named after the late Dr David Warren who developed the ‘black box’ to help in the investigation of aircraft accidents. “Dr Warren was a visionary and his invention has made an extraordinary contribution to aviation safety around the world,” Mr Robert said. Dr Warren invented the black box flight recorder in the mid-1950s when employed at one of DSTO’s predecessor organisations, the Aeronautical Research Laboratory at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. The black box is the most famous invention developed in that laboratory, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.