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After successfully securing the $223 million JP 2008 Phase 5B2 project, Northrop Grumman Australia chief executive Ian Irving has his sights set on growing the Australian business even further through more defence programs.
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Speaking to Defence Connect, Irving traced the the Australian company's strong beginnings back to the acquisitions of key businesses in Australia, saying the success of these programs has been pivotal in the business winning more work.
"We have grown significantly through those acquisitions of M5 Network Security and Qantas Defence Services that really got us started, got us a good base underneath us with some programs that were running well," Irving explained. "We've assimilated those two organisations into Northrop Grumman Australia; we're now winning work in our own right."
And it seems, after being awarded the JP 2008 Phase 5B2 project to improve the Australian Defence Force’s communication, the company can now smell blood, with Irving outlining its plans going forward.
Northrop Grumman Australia will be assisting the Australian government in co-operating with the US Navy to acquire seven high altitude MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft to complement the surveillance capabilities of the Poseidon as part of AIR 7000 Phase 1B.
"We recently succeeded with JP 2008, the east coast satcom network management system and we've got other prospects going forward," said Irving.
"Triton AIR7000 [is] probably the largest amongst those that will allow us to continue to grow our capability with the reachback from North America that we would be seeking to invest in those programs."
AIR 7000 Phase 1B is scheduled for second pass approval consideration within the 2017-18 financial year, according to the Defence Portfolio Budget Statements 2017-18.
And the company's plans do not stop there, with Irving not ruling out more in-country acquisitions.
"We're still keeping an eye on acquisition but most of our growth now will be winning programs and investing in ourselves" he said.
To hear more from Ian Irving, check out our exclusive podcast here.
