Page 8 - Australian Defence Magazine Nov 2020

8 NEWS REVIEW
NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
LOYAL WINGMAN TO BE MANUFACTURED IN QUEENSLAND
QUEENSLAND will be the final production home for the Loyal Wingman unmanned defence aircraft – the first military aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufac- tured in Australia in more than 50 years.
“The creation of additional new aero- space capability could see unmanned defence aircraft produced here by the middle of the decade, with prototype test- ing and certification taking place before that,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. “Our investment in this advanced manufacturing project will provide criti- cal skills for suppliers, academia and Boeing, and culminate in Queensland becoming the primary final assembly fa- cility for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, conditional on orders.
“Supporting this project is a significant investment in the Queensland defence and manufacturing industries and will
RIGHT: The Loyal Wingman ATS will be built in Queensland.
strengthen ties between Australia and the global defence market.
“The unmanned teaming aircraft is Boe- ing’s first military aircraft to be designed and developed outside the US and uses ar- tificial intelligence to extend the capabili- ties of manned and unmanned platforms.”
The first aircraft prototype, called the Loy- al Wingman, was unveiled with the RAAF in May this year. ADM’s Deputy Editor Nigel Pittaway later revealed that taxi trials were taking place at an undisclosed location.
Boeing Australia, NZ and South Pacific
President Brendan Nelson said the partner- ship with the Queensland government to de- velop an advanced manufacturing capability was a significant milestone for the company.
“It’s one that will build cutting-edge skills to stimulate the innovation ecosys- tem in Queensland,” he said.
“This includes introducing technologies such as advanced robotics; investment in universities, small-to-medium enter- prises and start-up companies; as well as creating global export opportunities for Australia’s supply chain.”
TAE AEROSPACE TO PROVIDE LOCAL SUPPORT FOR HAWK ENGINES
TAE Aerospace has signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to provide in country maintenance support services on the Adour Mk871 engine that powers the RAAF’s Hawk Lead In Fighter.
As part of the agreement, TAE Aero- space will perform in country depot level
ABOVE: A Hawk 127 lead in fighter A27-10 over Port Stephens.
maintenance and repair sup- port services for the engine from its new Turbine Engine Maintenance Facility in Ips- wich, Queensland, as well as periodic onsite Adour engine support at RAAF William- town and RAAF Pearce.
Rolls-Royce, as the Origi- nal Equipment Manufactur- er (OEM), have the propul- sion support contract with BAE Systems Australia to
maintain the Adour engine for the RAAF’s fleet of 33 BAE Systems Hawk aircraft which are currently planned to be with- drawn from service in 2026.
“Australia is a key defence market for Rolls-Royce and linking with TAE Aero- space’s established MRO capabilities will help continue our support of the Adour engine in Australia,” Rolls-Royce Adour MRO representative Garry King said.
“We are excited to be able to expand our turbine engine MRO capabilities to include the Rolls-Royce Adour engine in our new Turbine Engine Maintenance Facility in Ips- wich and increase employment opportunities in the region,” TAE Aerospace CEO Andrew Sanderson said. “Working with Rolls-Royce is another important step for our company as we continue to build our reputation as a trusted partner for all turbine engine manu- facturers here in Australia.
“This also opens an opportunity to attract business from other regional operators of the Hawk, like Malaysia and Indonesia.”
COMING UP NEXT ISSUE
■ Annual Top 40 and Top 20 Defence Contractors survey
■ FromtheSourceinterviewwithMinister for Defence Industry Melissa Price
■ Projectreviewandpreview
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