New JSF Work for Australian Industry

Australian Department of Defense, I am pleased to announce that Australian companies have won new work on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, once again demonstrating the international competitiveness of Australian industry. 
 
This program, which is the world’s biggest collaborative defence program, continues to provide unprecedented opportunities for Australian industry. 
 
Now 23 Australian companies have contracts for work worth about A$160 million, with major additional opportunities in prospect. 
 
GKN Aerospace Engineering in Melbourne has continued its JSF success story with well over one million hours of JSF design work under contract. 
 
Melbourne-based Marand Precision Engineering’s existing ground support equipment and tooling contracts with Lockheed Martin have recently been extended with substantial additional work in the offing. 
 
It is not just larger Australian companies that are proving their competitiveness on JSF. 
 
Partech Systems, a small company based in Nowra, NSW, has secured additional JSF test equipment work from Northrop Grumman. 
 
More recently, and in its first JSF contract, Adelaide’s Levett Engineering will machine specialised components for Lockheed Martin. 
 
Production Parts in Melbourne has won additional work with JSF prime contractors and Parker Aerospace for airframe and engine components. 
 
In a major development, BAE Systems (UK) has welcomed bids from both Marand and Aerotech International – a joint venture between Melbourne and Sydney based engineering companies Metaltec and Broens – for the supply of specialised JSF tooling. BAE Systems (UK) will begin discussions on the specific tool types required from each company. 
 
The success of these small companies has been supported by State and Territory Governments – evidence of the benefits of the JSF Team Australia approach, under which all of Government and all of industry work together for Australia’s national interest in the success of the JSF Program.