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Defence & Aero News
New funding open to win defence contracts in Victoria
Victorian manufacturers and businesses will benefit from new funding which will assist them to compete for lucrative defence contracts.
Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Ben Carroll announced that $10 million from the Andrews Labor Government’s Victorian Land Systems Fund will be used to support local businesses to join Hanwha Defense Australia’s supply chain to deliver the $1 billion LAND 8116 Self Propelled Howitzer program. The funding, which will be distributed through a targeted investment stream and the Supply Chain Uplift Program, will maximise the value of Hanwha’s defence contracts to the state. The Supply Chain Uplift Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for Victorian small to medium-sized businesses to improve their capability through activities like upgrading business systems and facilities, gaining international accreditations and certifications, or undertaking research and product development. Hanwha was the successful bidder for LAND 8116 and is one of two final bidders for the multibillion-dollar LAND 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle program being selected by the Commonwealth Government. Hanwha is also establishing a $170 million Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence at the Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct with support from the Government, further boosting the state’s defence capabilities and creating more than 300 highly skilled local jobs in design, engineering and advanced manufacturing. More than 6,300 businesses provide services and manufacturing in Victoria’s defence sector, including equipment across military vehicle production, maritime design, aerospace components and cyber security. The sector contributes $8.4 billion to the Victorian economy each year and supports around 24,300 jobs across the defence industry. Applications for the Supply Chain Uplift Program opened in mid-September 2022.
Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton
Northrop Grumman Corporation has unveiled Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton autonomous aircraft during a ceremony at its high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) aircraft production site in California.
The event, attended by Australian, US government and defence officials, highlights the continued progress of the MQ-4C Triton program for both the Royal Australian Air Force and US Navy. “Today marks a significant milestone for Australia and the MQ-4C Triton program,” said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “As we get ready for final system integration and flight test, we are one step closer to delivering this extraordinary maritime awareness capability to Australia.” Australia is a cooperative program partner in the Triton program and was critical in helping shape the requirements for the system. As partners, US and Australian defence forces will be able to share data collected by their respective Tritons, a critical ability in one of the world’s most strategically important regions. “Triton will provide the Royal Australian Air Force with an unprecedented capability to monitor and protect our maritime approaches” said Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force. “Triton will work alongside the P-8A Poseidon and this unmanned aircraft system will allow us to cover significant areas, at longer ranges and has the ability to stay airborne longer than a traditional aircraft.”
US & Australian missile project
Raytheon Missiles & Defense, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, has been selected to develop the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) for the US Air Force (USAF).
HACM is a first-of-its-kind weapon developed in conjunction with the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE), a US and Australia project arrangement. Under this contract, the Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Northrop Grumman team will deliver operationally ready missiles to the USAF. The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is an airbreathing, scramjet powered munition. Scramjet engines use high vehicle speed to forcibly compress incoming air before combustion, which enables sustained flight at hypersonic speeds – Mach 5 or greater. By traveling at these speeds, hypersonic weapons, like HACM, are able to reach their targets more quickly than similar traditional missiles, allowing them to potentially evade defensive systems. Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman have been working together since 2019 to develop, produce and integrate Northrop Grumman’s scramjet engines onto Raytheon’s air-breathing hypersonic weapons. Their combined efforts enable both companies to produce air-breathing hypersonic weapons, the next generation of tactical missile systems.
Showcasing the latest in aviation, aerospace, defence and space technologies The Avalon Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition is one of the Indo Pacific’s most prestigious events and the most comprehensive aviation, aerospace and defence exposition in the southern hemisphere.
Away from the public flying displays, Avalon’s international industry exhibition, conference program, innovation awards, STEM and Careers and Skills programs enable critical engagement and promotion for industry. The event will run from 28 February until 5 March 2023 with the first three days closed to the public until 3 March. The 2019 event, which was the last held, attracted participants from 37 countries, including: • 698 participating companies • 161 official industry and government delegations • 38,952 attendances across three dedicated industry days. The show is a platform for industry at all levels to promote to customers, partners and suppliers, providing unrivalled access to the region’s aviation, aerospace, defence and space community. With a range of indoor and outdoor display options, air display flights and promotional opportunities, the exposition incorporates an industry exhibition to feature Australian and international companies, with formal business to business and business to government networking programs. Avalon hosts multiple concurrent conferences and expo streams, across the spectrum of Defence, Airlines, Business and General Aviation, Sport and Recreational Aviation, Airports, MRO, Space, Unmanned Systems, Air Safety and Ground Equipment. The event is collaboratively conducted on a well-established foundation of longstanding relationships with a wide range of strategic stakeholders, including: • The Royal Australian Air Force • The Australian Army and the Royal
Australian Navy • State and Federal Governments • Defence Capability Acquisition and
Sustainment Group (CASG) • Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) • Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) • Team Defence Australia • National aviation, aerospace, maritime and defence industries and industry associations.
ASDAM buys TAE Aerospace and RUAG Australia
ASDAM has confirmed the acquisitions of TAE Aerospace and RUAG Australia, further enlarging the ASDAM Group which already includes Marand and Levett.
Under the agreement, the chief executive officer of TAE, Andrew Sanderson, will be appointed CEO of ASDAM and join the board. Meanwhile, Rohan Stocker is expected to continue as CEO of Marand and Levett and serve as an executive director on the ASDAM board. ASDAM is Australia’s largest supplier to the F-35 program. Its existing customers include Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Honeywell, and Pratt & Whitney. Operating from 20 locations in Australia and the United States, ASDAM has approximately 1,000 employees. “Marand, Levett, TAE and RUAG Australia are all outstanding businesses in their own right. Their combination within ASDAM creates a leading Australian engineering and sustainment partner across aerospace and defence programs,” Steve Sargent, chairman of ASDAM, said. ASDAM is a leading sovereign defence, advanced manufacturing and sustainment company. It provides end-to-end capability across design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and sustainment. ASDAM now includes Marand, TAE Aerospace, RUAG Australia and Levett Engineering and services a number of defence and non-defence programs, and has long term relationships with governments, defence prime contractors and other industrial customers. ASDAM is Australia’s largest supplier to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.
