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Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has announced the signing of two services deeds with BAE Systems Australia worth a total of AU$210 million to help secure the Hunter Valley’s future as the Indo-Pacific’s hub for sustaining the region’s F-35 fleet.
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The government last month signed stage two of a facility services deed with BAE Systems Australia worth AU$110 million, which is in addition to its initial first stage commitment of AU$100 million announced last year.
This funding boost will enable BAE Systems Australia to build seven more maintenance bays to increase overall capacity to 13 bays to help service the growing F-35 fleet in the Indo-Pacific.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said, “This contract extension more than doubles our initial investment in the F-35 sustainment hub at Williamtown and underscores the Albanese government’s commitment to growing our defence industry.”
This means Newcastle Airport will be equipped to service Australia’s F-35A Lightning II fleet and could potentially be used by other nations to sustain and service a global F-35 fleet that’s expected to reach more than 3,000 aircraft.
“Crucially, this contract secures jobs for people across the Hunter and nationally for decades to come. It also ensures the Hunter Valley’s future as a hub for the sustainment of Australian aircraft, and potentially from other nations,” Minister Conroy explained.
This latest announcement comes after the government signed the first facility services deed with BAE Systems Australia in November 2022 to build four new F-35 maintenance bays at BAE Systems Australia’s South Hangar, Newcastle Airport.
Minister Conroy added, “Australian defence industry is already a vital contributor of maintenance and sustainment services for the global F-35 fleet, which is expected to reach more than 3,000 aircraft. Establishing the Hunter as an Indo-Pacific hub for F-35 repair and maintenance is a testament to the high level of skills and knowledge among our defence industry workforce.”
Sixty-three of Australia’s 72 F-35A Lightning II aircraft have been accepted to date with all 72 of Australia’s F-35A aircraft based at both RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, with Australia’s fleet of F-35s to be sustained and upgraded at the Hunter facility.
For the RAAF, the F-35A’s combination of full-spectrum low-observable stealth coatings and materials, advanced radar-dispersing shaping, network-centric sensor and communications suites – combined with a lethal strike capability – means the aircraft will be the ultimate force multiplying, air-combat platform.
The F-35A – the variant chosen by the RAAF – will have with a projected life of 30 years in service.
Over the coming years, Australia will purchase 72 of the advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft as part of the $17 billion AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B program – which is aimed at replacing the ageing F/A-18A/B Classic Hornets that have been in service with the RAAF since 1985.
