BAE welcomes largest cohort of aero apprentices

BAE Systems Australia has welcomed its largest group of aerospace apprentices and first cohort of aircraft engineers as the company expands its sustainment operations in response to the Royal Australia Air Force’s growing F-35 fleet and the Hawk Lead-In Fighter training aircraft.

The 2023 intake has increased threefold to include 18 apprentices and seven aircraft engineers, to be deployed across the company’s Williamtown and Pearce operating sites. This takes the total number of apprentices across the Aerospace Line of Business to 30.

Employees across Williamtown deliver a comprehensive maintenance and sustainment

AUKUS for Australia

AUKUS will be the start of a new era for Australian defence with eight new nuclear submarines called SSN AUKUS over 30 years which includes an upgrade to naval base HMAS Stirling in WA and $2 billion to upgrades for the Osborne, SA shipyards.

In SA the submarine construction yard to be built for this project will be three times larger than the one proposed for the Attack class submarines.

Up to 4000 workers will be employed to design and build the infrastructure for this yard and another 5000 jobs are expected to come about due to the nuclear powered submarine build program which doesn’t include jobs in the supply chain. Alongside that will be a spend of around $6 billion in Australia’s industrial capability and workforce over four years that will create around 20,000 jobs over 30 years.

“We will partner with the United States and the United Kingdom to build the next generation submarine. They’ll be built by Australians, commanded by the Australian Navy and sustained by Australians in Australian shipyards. In the meantime, we’ll be training and upskilling our people through increased visits and rotational presence from US and UK submarines,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. “With construction beginning this decade, we’ll train more engineers, scientists, technicians, submariners, administrators and tradespeople. Already, Australian personnel are upskilling on nuclear propulsion technology and stewardship alongside British and American counterparts.” program for the Royal Australian Air Force and its Hawk Lead-In Fighter and F-35 programs. Once qualified, the apprentices and aircraft engineers will be equipped with skills required to maintain and sustain aircraft for the Commonwealth’s Hawk Lead-In Fighter and F-35 programs, which play a critical role in the capability of the RAAF.

SA premier, Peter Malinauskas said that the AUKUS submarines will be the most complex machines that have ever been built. But it is not just the thousands of workers to be employed at Osborne who will benefit.

This is a transformational opportunity to increase our economic complexity. This deal is more than just a technological advancement there will be additional advantages in technology sharing in AI and quantum technology. These will place Australia at a better level for future projects not only in defence but other industries.

It will also require a level of cooperation between governments, defence and industry.

Truck & Bus Briefs

Australia falling behind with electric buses

A report has found Australia is falling behind when it comes to electrifying its bus fleet with just 200 out of 100,000 buses electric. The report published by The Australia Institute says that electric buses are available, viable, and popular with commuters. Most of the fleet of Australian buses is owned by state governments. The Australia Institute also surveyed Victorians and found that 71 percent supported a zero-emission bus fleet.

SEA partners with Zurich for transition to electric fleets

SEA Electric has partnered with Zurich Resilience Solutions (ZRS) to ease the transition for fleets to update to sustainable technology. The Zurich brand globally represents quality and integrity, with its risk engineering team of around 800 engineers set to work with SEA Electric customers to enhance their EV switch.

ZRS provides specialised insights and tools –above and beyond insurance – to help companies across a wide range of industries manage traditional and evolving risks to become more resilient. Services are provided across a number of domains, including: climate change resilience; supply chain risk; and cyber security.

SEA Electric will work to assist Zurich customers in their understanding of the commercial electric vehicle space with customer experience days, plus potential webinars, while Zurich’s risk engineering department will benefit from ongoing training from SEA Electric’s knowledgeable team.

UD celebrates 50 years trucking in Australia