D efence
DEFENCE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT DELIVERS $34M BOOST FOR WA ECONOMY Almost $34 million will be invested in the delivery of vehicle workshops, hardstands and shelters in Swanbourne, Western Australia to support the modernisation of the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force vehicle fleet. Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price announced Lendlease will deliver fit-for-purpose facilities and infrastructure to sustain the new fleet of trucks and trailers being procured for the Australian Defence Force. The project has an anticipated peak workforce of about 50 people per day during the three-year construction. “This is part of a larger, $150 million national infrastructure project that will deliver supporting infrastructure for the sustainment and maintenance of the Australian Defence Force’s next-generation defence logistics vehicle fleet,” Minister Price said. Work on the Campbell Barracks works being delivered under the Land 121 Stage 5B project is expected to be complete by mid-2024.
Lendlease will deliver fit-for-purpose facilities and infrastructure to sustain the new fleet of trucks and trailers for the Australian Defence Force. Rheinmetall image.
F-35A NAMED AS SWITZERLAND’S NEXT-GEN FIGHTER JET The Lockheed Martin-built aircraft has been selected after competing in a competition against alternative contenders. The F-35A Lightning II is set to replace the Swiss Air Force’s ageing fleet of F-5 Tigers and F/A-18 Hornets over the next decade. The Swiss Federal Council selected the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft following a competition which assessed the jet’s performance against three other contenders — Airbus’ Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault’s Rafale, and Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet. Lockheed has been tasked with delivering 36 aircraft, sustainment support, and a training services for an estimated CHF 6 billion (AUD$8.6 billion). Switzerland is among a host of other nations to procure the jet, including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Denmark and Canada. 68
Last year, the RAAF accepted the 30th of 72 Lockheed Martin-built F-35A aircraft ordered by the Commonwealth government under the Joint Strike Fighter program. All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023, with an option to expand the fleet to a maximum of 100 aircraft.
NEW CHINOOKS BOOST HEAVY-LIFT CAPABILITY The ADF heavy-lift battlefield aviation capability has been boosted with the arrival of two new CH-47F Chinooks in Townsville recently. The $595 million investment in four new CH-47F Chinooks will take Australia’s fleet from 10 to 14 under the acquisition program. The first two of the new helicopters were delivered to Townsville aboard a large US military transport aircraft. The third and fourth helicopters are expected to arrive in Australia mid next year. Minister for Defence Peter Dutton welcomed the arrival of the helicopters to Army’s 5th Aviation Regiment. “The additional helicopters will strengthen Army’s airlift capability into the future and increase the ADF’s ability to support operations globally,” Mr Dutton said. “The Chinook is Defence’s largest helicopter, with a long and proven track record of supporting ADF operations in Australia, our near region and further afield.” The arrival came about three months after the sale was approved. Mr Dutton said being delivered just days before the beginning of Exercise Talisman Sabre - the largest bilateral combined training activity between the ADF and US military - highlighted the countries' excellent strategic working relationship. “By working closely with the United States, through streamlined processes to rapidly deliver Defence capability, the government is demonstrating its commitment to Defence’s strategic objectives and, in this case, bolstering Defence’s aviation capability,” he said. Defence News.
A new CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter is unloaded from a United Stated C-5 Galaxy at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland. Defence image
