Defence has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin Australia and Lockheed Martin Corporation to ensure the effective long-term sustainment of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter capability in Australia.
The agreement includes intellectual property, technical data and software arrangements for Australia’s direct sovereign sustainment contracts with Lockheed Martin entities.
The Minister for Defence, Christopher Pyne, visited the Lockheed Martin Australia F-35A Joint Strike Fighter display at the Avalon Air Show.
“The Heads of Agreement provides certainty and clarity to Australia by pre-agreeing the intellectual property, technical data and software contract provisions,” said Pyne.
“This creates an environment where Defence – should it decide to enter into new contracts with different companies for various services such as training – will be able to seek the intellectual property, technical data and software it needs through the United States F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin.”
The Minister for Defence Industry, Steven Ciobo, said having a settled framework was important, due to the complexities associated with the global F-35 Program.
“The Heads of Agreement will minimise the time and effort taken by the Australian government and Lockheed Martin in establishing any Australian sovereign sustainment contracts with local industry,” said Ciobo.
“Already, Australian local industry has secured more than $1.3 billion in contracts from F-35 design and production work – and many more Australian companies stand to benefit from future sustainment work,” he said.
The above article published by Manufacturers Monthly was published on February 27, 2019.
And further details on the role of Australian industry in the program was provided by an article written by Stephen Kuper and published on Defence Connect.
Ministers Pyne and Ciobo announced the construction of a $24 million Engine Test Cell upgrade facility at RAAF Base Amberley. TAE Aerospace will benefit from the contract, with Minister Pyne saying, “Defence contracted TAE Aerospace, a 100 per cent Australian owned company, who has now taken possession of the site and commenced work on the upgraded facility, which will be able to cope with the increased thrust of the new F135 engine.”
Minister Ciobo congratulated TAE Aerospace, saying, “This is a terrific example of the strength of Australia’s defence industry, which has already won over $1.3 billion in production contracts as part of the global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.”
RUAG Australia also reached a major milestone in its participation in the global F-35 program, following the delivery of the company’s 35,000th component part for the F-35.
Minister Pyne said, “RUAG Australia is the sole global source of the F-35 program uplock actuator system and, in achieving this milestone, has confirmed its precision manufacturing and process solutions capabilities.”
These announcements also saw Lockheed Martin Australia and the Commonwealth sign heads of agreement sovereign sustainment contracts to ensure the effective, long-term sustainment of the RAAF’s F-35 capability.
Minister Pyne said the agreement provides improved certainty and clarity to Australia, by pre-agreeing the intellectual property, technical data and software contract provisions with Lockheed Martin Australia and the Lockheed Martin Corporation.
“This creates an environment where Defence – should it decide to enter into new contracts with different companies for various services such as training – will be able to seek the intellectual property, technical data and software it needs through the United States F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin,” Minister Pyne said.
Minister Ciobo added, “The heads of agreement will minimise the time and effort taken by the Australian government and Lockheed Martin in establishing any Australian sovereign sustainment contracts with local industry.”
For the rest of the article published by Defence Connect on March 2, 2019, see the following:
The featured photo shows a RAAF F-35A Joint Strike Fighter leaving contrails during its flying display in the Australian Defence Force showcase rehearsal at Avalon, Victoria. Australian Department of Defence, February 25, 2019.