Defence awards lets SMEs take centrestage, says executive

Defence Connect recently launched the fourth annual Australian Defence Industry Awards with principal partner KBR, which is designed to recognise the best and brightest in Australia’s defence industry across 10 individual and 18 company categories.

Scheduled to take place on Thursday 15 September at the National Convention Centre in Canberra, the black-tie gala awards ceremony will celebrate those professionals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to build a stronger and more innovative defence ecosystem.

At the end of the ceremony, one person will be selected from all individual category winners as the recipient of the coveted Excellence Award.

Lockheed Martin Australia was the recipient of the Aerospace Business of the Year award in 2021, and a finalist in the Manufacturer of the Year and Prime Contractor of the Year award categories.

Nevertheless, program manager Andrew Doyle underscored that the awards program provides recognition for small-to-medium enterprises (SME) who may not necessarily have the resources to offer reward mechanisms like this.

“The thing that really impresses me about the Australian Defence Industry Awards is its ability to provide that platform and recognition for Australian SMEs,” Doyle told Defence Connect.

“We’ve had the opportunity to present awards to other winners in the program and we are doing our best to help provide that platform to reward smaller companies for their achievements as well.”

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The Australian Defence Industry Awards program includes the SME of the Year category, while all other company categories are open to all businesses irrespective of size, revenue, or geographic locations.

“We’re really pleased that there’s a large number of categories that support SMEs, and the very bright and talented individuals that are working in the defence industry across Australia,” Doyle said.

F-35 fighter jet program

Alongside supporting SMEs, Lockheed Martin Australia was crowned as Aerospace Business of the Year for its contribution to the defence and aerospace industries, particularly through the F-35 air combat program, as well as other programs including the C-130J Hercules, RAAF Pilot Training and MH-60R Seahawk.

The company employs over 1,400 staff, with half of those involved in aerospace-related programs. Lockheed Martin works with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as the F-35 program industry leader and original equipment manufacturer in Australia.

“Twenty-twenty was a massive year for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program,” Doyle explained.

“During 2020, the RAAF more than doubled the size of its F-35 fleet in Australia, adding 20 aircraft, which brought with it a commensurate increase in the Lockheed Martin sustainment organisation that we have in Australia.

“We have an excellent team of very bright men and women who provide a range of technical and logistics services, and training and information systems support services to the F-35.”

According to Doyle, Lockheed Martin employs more than 150 people on the F-35 program in Australia, while the program supports an additional 3,000 production and sustainment roles in Australia across a network of industry partners and STEM organisations.

Get a jump start on the awards

Winning the award and qualifying as a finalist in two additional categories provided strong external recognition for the company’s team, he added.

“Having the external recognition of peer organisations and from the eminent members of the judging panel boosted our profile,” Doyle said.

As such, he encouraged all companies and individuals in the defence industry to participate in the awards and commence their nomination and submissions process early.

“Make sure you consult widely before writing your submission,” Doyle advised.

In their submission, Lockheed Martin Australia included a “broad vignette” and case studies that highlighted their achievements, as well as supporting documents such as internal and external media releases by independent parties.

“That built up a richer context beyond the content of the written submissions,” Doyle said.

“With our awards, we tried to draw upon a national level endeavour and multiple programs across the company, so it was as much a team effort to compile the award submission as it was to undertake the underlying work itself that led to the award win.”

Doyle concluded by identifying the Australian Defence Industry Awards ceremony as a prime opportunity for the industry to network and connect with their peers.

To enter the awards this year, register your account through our secure awards platform and fill in the details of your submissions. When you’re happy with your submission, press save and lodge it.

Nominations and submissions close on Thursday, 21 July 2022.

Click here to submit an entry or nominate a worthy colleague for a chance to celebrate your successes and walk home with a trophy.

For more information about the awards program, including categories and judging process, click here.