Growing the Force: Tindal gets the green light

History GROWING THE FORCE:

Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal is a military training base located 15km from the town of Katherine in the Northern Territory. It was officially opened in 1988 and also serves as a staging base for exercises conducted in the area.

Although situated outside Katherine, the base’s contribution to the community includes activities such as flood relief, defence aid for the civil community and offering the base’s sporting facilities to the community. It is considered one of the Air’s Force’s key sites, and its staff make up almost 25 per cent of Katherine’s population of 10,000 people.

The base has undergone five redevelopment projects since its official opening. A sixth redevelopment project will commence in September 2020 with expected completion in late 2027. The RAAF Base Tindal will become northern Australia's most important strategic air force base with the Morrison government investing $1.6 billion for upgrades that boost military ties with the United States.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government had approved a further $1.1 billion program of, on top of the $495 million already invested in New Air Combat Capability infrastructure.

Upgrade History

The airfield was redeveloped as a non-garrison base by No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron during 1963-1970. In 1984, the Government had decided to redevelop the base as a manned, operational military airfield with No. 75 Squadron forming a permanent base there.

It was again redeveloped in 1988 as part of the Stage 2 development plan. This round of redevelopment involved investment of $34.9m towards extension of the taxiway, technical and support facilities and engineering services.

Aircraft shelters and associated pavements, facilities and engineering services were added in 1991 as part of the Stage 3 development at an investment of $53.5m.

Stage 4 was carried out in 1996 at an investment of $31.4m. It involved construction of operational facilities for maritime patrol aircraft, extension of air movement aprons, a command post, a contingency accommodation and associated engineering services.

Stage 5 was carried out in 2009 at an investment of $58.74m. It consisted of twelve discrete project elements, developed with the objective of improving the facilities which support the overall capability of RAAF Base Tindal. Most of the facilities at the base were constructed in the 1980s and were generally not designed to support current activity rates. Some twenty years after their construction, many of the base facilities are, in any case, in need of refurbishment.

Sixth Redevelopment Project

The majority of the money, $737 million, will be spent extending the runway and creating a new fuel storage facility to allow for larger aircraft to call it home.

Once complete, it is expected to house some of the RAAF’s 72 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, fuel stockpiles and engineering to support large aircraft like US Air Force B-52 strategic bombers and RAAF KC-30 air-to-air refuellers.

The air-to-air refuellers will boost the capacity of the RAAF

and US Air Force to conduct joint operations and training exercises over larger areas in the Indo-Pacific.

There has been a permanent annual rotation of US Marines in Darwin that has increased to about 2000 under a deal signed in 2011 by the Gillard government and Obama administration.

When asked if this was an acknowledgment of concern about China's rise, Mr Morrison cited the 2016 Defence White Paper identifying Northern Australia as strategically important and an "understanding of the world we live and need to ensure we play a positive role in supporting stability and peace in the Indo Pacific".

The funding is seen as a response to warnings last year by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and US Studies Centre that it was not doing enough in defence infrastructure in the north.

Mr Morrison would not say whether US B-52s would be based permanently in the NT. "What I can say is we're equipping these facilities to be able to have maximum advantage of relationships we have with our alliance partners to conduct exercises routinely with them, this would be an important staging point for those exercises," he told reporters. "Strategically northern Australia has always been important. "Northern Australia is incredibly important to Australia's economic future, for that to be realised, for those improvements of the livelihoods of Australians to be realised that needs to be done off a platform of peace and stability in our region, which is what Tindal is about."

Australian companies involved in Tindal's massive upgrade could then find major projects in Asia where the environment was similar such as helping building Indonesia's new capital city, Mr Morrison said.

He said he was committed to reach a target of two per cent of GDP being spent on the defence forces by next year.

US weapons to be located at Tindal RAAF Base

Australian company Icon SI Pty Ltd has been awarded a multi-million dollar US construction contract as part of the United States Force Posture Initiatives (USFPI).

The United States Naval Facilities Command Pacific announced the USD $10.07 million contract, which will see Icon SI construct an earth-covered magazine facility at RAAF Base Tindal.

The project is part of a range of initiatives for Australia and the US in the NT over the next 10 years.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC, said Australia and the US will jointly invest around AUD$2 billion in a range of USFPI projects over the life of the initiative.

“This announcement highlights the opportunities that the USFPI brings to Australian businesses and reinforces that Australian industry is globally competitive,” Minister Reynolds said.

“Infrastructure and facilities development under the USFPI will be concentrated between Robertson Barracks, RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal as well as training areas

and ranges in the Northern Territory.

“These infrastructure investments enable the activities of the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin and Enhanced Air Cooperation.”

In addition to construction contracts, there will be opportunities in sub-contracting, maintenance and supply arrangements that will benefit local suppliers over the next decade.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Melissa Price MP, said construction projects to support the growing United States Force Posture Initiatives will provide opportunities for many sectors including construction, professional services, maintenance and logistics.

“Australian funded projects include airfield upgrades, base support improvements – including accommodation, mess facilities and gymnasiums – and upgrades to training areas and ranges,” Minister Price said.

“I’m particularly pleased to see that the United States Department of Defence has selected an Australian company to construct the earth-covered magazine facility RAAF Base Tindal.”

“Under the Morrison Government, $8 billion is being invested over the next decade in new and upgraded facilities in the Northern Territory, making it a welcome boost to the local economy and to businesses in the Top End,” Senator McMahon said.

Construction projects to support the growing USFPI will provide opportunities for many sectors including construction, professional services, maintenance and logistics.

Defence Strategy to deliver jobs and investment to the NT

The Morrison Government’s updated Defence Strategy and ongoing commitment to maximising Australian industry involvement in Defence capability projects will create new jobs and investment in the Northern Territory over the coming decade and beyond.

As detailed in the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan released by Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP and Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC today, the Government will invest a record $270 billion in Defence capability and infrastructure over the next decade across Australia.

Critical Australian Defence Force operational bases, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and training facilities are based in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory is also vital to Australia’s continued support to the implementation of United States Force Posture Initiatives, which both support enhanced US engagement in our region and provide the Australian Defence Force with improved training opportunities and closer interoperability with US forces.

Through this Plan, over $8 billion will be invested over the coming decade into the refresh and redevelopment of Defence facilities in the Northern Territory including:

Robertson Barracks, Larrakeyah Defence Precinct including HMAS Coonawarra, Bradshaw Field Training

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RAAF Base Tindal including upgrading facilities to support

KC-30 aircraft operations and the US Enhanced Air

Cooperation initiative; and

The upgrade of Northern Territory ranges and training areas in support of the US Force Posture Initiatives.

Local industry involvement in the delivery of these projects will be maximised through this Government’s Local Industry Capability Plan initiative. This ensures that local suppliers, contractors and tradies have the opportunity to secure more of this work, creating more jobs for local communities in the Northern Territory.

This investment comes on top of the Government’s significant investment in building and sustaining Australian Defence Force capability in the Northern Territory.

Over the 12 months to March 2020, Defence has invested around $500 million in the Northern Territory. Examples of key programs and activities in the Northern Territory include:

Support for the Jindalee Operational Radar Network at Harts Range and Mt Everard sites supporting approximately 305 jobs

Sustainment elements for the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance

Helicopter fleet supporting around 55 jobs

Sustainment, maintenance and repair for the Armidale class patrol boats supporting around 145 jobs

In addition to being a future homeport of the Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels and its network of small to medium enterprises working in the maritime and light to heavy vehicle sustainment sector, the Northern Territory will also play an important role providing the infrastructure and logistics needed for the ADF to operate further towards our northern approaches.

Today, the Northern Territory is also home to over 6,000 Defence personnel, including ADF permanent and reserve members and Australian Public Service employees. This number is forecast to grow in the coming years.

The policies and investment in the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan will make the ADF more capable for the wide range of scenarios Australia will face in the future, more agile to rapid changes, and more potent if a situation should call for it.

What is more, much of this investment in Australia’s defence capabilities will go directly to Australian industry, creating jobs and skills. This Government’s investment in defence capability is already benefitting around 15,000 Australian businesses, who support around 70,000 Australian workers. These numbers are set to increase in line with these new opportunities for Australian industry.

This is a comprehensive plan to further build the resilience, agility and capability of the ADF, and create a more secure and safe Australia. The people of the Northern Territory can have confidence that this Government will ensure that we can defend our nation and protect our interests today and into the future.

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NT ramps up activity in global space race

The Federal and NT Governments are working together to expand the Top End’s space sector, with a new agreement to maximise the NT’s natural advantages to create jobs and grow the economy.

Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Northern Territory Government and the Australian Space Agency came at an opportune time.

“Space is not only a growing sector of its own, but it develops technologies and know-how that can be applied across a range of industries to help Australia emerge from the COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever,” Andrews said.

“This MoU will drive the creation of high-tech jobs in the Northern Territory, but will also see the Top End contributing to the economic growth of the whole nation.

“The geographic location of the Northern Territory, including its wide open expanses, makes it a hugely appealing destination for space companies and agencies from around the world. The proximity of the Territory to the equator also means advantages for commercial rocket launch.”

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the Northern Territory is a step closer to being a key player in the trillion dollar international space industry with the signing of the MoU, which builds on the Territory Governments’ Territory Space Industry 2020 Plan.

“While we are working every day to keep Territorians safe from coronavirus, we are also preparing for the rebound – with new industries, new investments and new jobs,” Mr Gunner said.

“We are perfectly positioned to benefit from the space economy and the jobs it will bring. We are close to the equator, we aren’t prone to earthquakes, we’re close to the sea and sparsely populated areas, and we have great weather.

“With technology shifts driving growth in the commercial space industry, Australia has the potential to capture a greater share of this global industry and we want the Northern Territory to be at the front of the pack.

“The space industry is real in the Territory with NASA and Equatorial Launch Australia ready to launch their sounding rocket program from the Arnhem Space Centre.

“We are in the space race, and we are in it to win it. It will mean more investment and more jobs for Territorians.”

Head of the Australian Space Agency Dr Megan Clark AC said this agreement will build on the existing assets in the Northern Territory.

“Existing infrastructure from ground stations such as the indigenous owned and operated, Centre for Appropriate Technology, and the Alice Springs Balloon Launching Facility show the capability that exists within the Northern Territory,” Clark said.

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