Page 20 - Australian Defence Magazine May-June 2020
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DEFENCE BUSINESS   HORNETS
MAY/JUNE 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
    “WE HAVE 277 PEOPLE WORKING TO SUPPORT SUPER HORNET AT AMBERLEY, TOGETHER WITH A RANGE OF AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES,” SAID CHRIS GRAY, BDA’S ACESP MANAGER.”
contractor industry partners, Boeing Defence Australia (which replaced the parent Boeing Company in July 2016), together with sub-con- tractors Raytheon Australia, Northrop Grum- man Australia, Airspeed, Pacific Aerospace Consulting and Martin Baker Australia.
These companies work under the Air Com- bat Electronic Attack Sustainment Program (ACEASP), which provides sustainment and capability upgrade support for both the Super Hornet and Growler fleet.
Raytheon Australia and subcontractor Mil- Skil provide support to aircrew simulator training, as well as maintenance of the air- crew and ground training systems, while Gen- eral Electric, together with TAE Aerospace, provides maintenance and overhaul of the F414 engine.
  plan to operate with and against aircraft from a number of regional allies, including the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force and, for the first time in Australian skies, the Japan Air Self Defence Force.
“The Super Hornet isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and, with our current landscape of transition from ‘Classic’ Hornet into F-35, the intention was to help us bridge that gap and maintain capability,” WGCDR Peapell added. “It’s really living up to that right now, the jet and the capabil- ity is absolutely where we wanted it to be at this particular period in the transition process.”
INDUSTRY SUPPORT
The Super Hornet is supported in service by an Air Force/ CASG/Industry partnership, consisting of three prime
In March 2020, the ACEASP was awarded a four-year, $280 million, sustainment contract extension until 2025.
“We have 277 people working to support Super Hornet at Amberley, together with a range of Australian compa- nies,” said Chris Gray, BDA’s ACESP manager. “The way in which we are providing our sustainment services has moved to a relational arrangement with the Common- wealth, rather than a transactional relationship, under the First Principles guidance.
“This has really enabled Boeing to assume responsibility as the platform steward and do what’s best for the weapons system, using all the resources that Boeing brings as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).” ■
ABOVE: Support for the Super Hornet fleet is a team effort. BELOW: The fleet is based at RAAF Amberley.
   



















































































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