Page 10 - Australian Defence Magazine Nov 2018

NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Defence signs first contract for Future Frigate
AN interim contract has been struck be- tween the Commonwealth and BAE Sys- tems Australia for the Hunter class frigate program.
Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne announced Defence and BAE Systems Aus- tralia have entered into an Advanced Work Arrangement (AWA).
The AWA will cover ongoing work on the $35 billion program, ahead of agreeing the head contract.
“This is a very important and early milestone in the development of an en- during world-class naval shipbuilding industry in Australia,” Nigel Stewart, BAE Systems’ Managing Director for the Hunter Class, said. “The AWA dem- onstrates a commitment by both BAE Systems and the Australian Government to ensure timely progress on this critical defence program.”
Minister Pyne said the AWA is an impor- tant first step in the process of transitioning ASC Shipbuilding into BAE Systems in preparation for the nation’s biggest ship- building program.
“The AWA is an interim contract which
enables BAE Systems to continue to mobil- ise its workforce and progress the critical work required to ensure the project remains on track to start production in 2020,” Min- ister Pyne said.
“The process of transitioning ASC Ship- building into BAE Systems is well under- way, and ASC Shipbuilding, BAE Systems and the Department of Finance are making good progress in negotiations.”
Work continues on negotiating the head contract for the program, with signature ex- pected later in the year after the ASC Ship- building transition is completed.
Defence will execute the head contract with ASC Shipbuilding – as a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems – for the delivery of the Navy’s nine Hunter class frigates and associated support sys- tem components.
Boeing signs new partnership with CASG on Chinooks
AUSTRALIA is positioned to become an In line with the government’s Australian international centre of Chinook expertise Industry Capability program, Boeing will following a new partnership agreement consolidate all existing support services for between Boeing Defence Australia and the the Army’s CH-47F Chinook fleet into a Capability Acquisition and Sustainment new through life support contract to be Group (CASG). conducted in-country.
“This new partner- ship has been struc- tured to maintain the Australian Army’s alignment with the global Chinook fleet while standing up in- country engineering and supply chain capa- bilities to complement the training and main- tenance services we cur- rently deliver in Austra- lia,” Murray Brabrook, general manager Boe- ing Defence Austra-
lia Integrated Services and Support, said. “The majority of work will be undertaken in Oakey and Townsville, building on our existing regional network of Australian ro- tary wing capability to deliver more cost-ef- fective Chinook support while maximising Australian industry involvement and local agility to respond to Australia’s operational
requirements.”
Boeing believes expertise developed
under the Chinook support services con- tract could one day allow it to support other regional Chinook operators and future Army helicopter fleets based on other platforms.
The CH-47F Chinook is the largest he- licopter in the Army with 10 aircraft cur- rently in service. Boeing provides support services from the Chinook operating base in Townsville, the maintenance training centre in Oakey and delivers ab-initio heli- copter aircrew training in Nowra.
10 | November 2018 | www.australiandefence.com.au
BAE SYSTEMS