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Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has announced a AU$139.5 million contract with Boeing Defence Australia to upgrade the software, systems, and sensors of the Royal Australian Air Force‘s P-8A Poseidon fleet.
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The contract will support 50 Australian jobs including six Certificate IV aircraft maintenance engineering apprentices, 38 Certificate II aerospace workers and several supply chain trainees at the RAAF Base Edinburgh as part of the Increment 3 Block 2 software, systems, and sensor upgrades designed to enhance the anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike and intelligence collection capabilities of the Poseidon fleet.
Australia‘s first two aircraft to undergo the Increment 3 modification will be upgraded in Jacksonville, Florida, with the remainder of the fleet of 12 to be completed by Boeing Defence Australia at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy welcomed the announcement, saying, “This announcement creates 50 new jobs and builds on the existing 283-strong workforce currently employed by Boeing Defence Australia at RAAF Base Edinburgh.”
Naomi Smith, Boeing Defence Australia director of sustainment operations, expanded on the comments from Minister Conroy, saying, “They will bolster the existing 250-plus workforce based at RAAF Edinburgh who currently deliver maintenance services for the P-8A Poseidon fleet.”
As part of this, Boeing Defence Australia will recruit and train apprentices and supply chain trainees to provide P-8A Poseidon support, providing upskilling and pathways for Australians to gain long-term employment in a critical industry.
“Investing in this critical upgrade to our P-8A Poseidon fleet will create new opportunities for apprentices to learn valuable skills and forge a career that offers long-term and well-paid employment, while also ensuring our Defence Force is equipped with the capabilities it needs to keep Australians safe,” Minister Conroy added.
Smith added, “We anticipate the upgrades will involve more than 300,000 hours of maintenance work over four years, with each aircraft taking around 7.5 months to complete.”
New employees will complete formal training with South Australia’s Flight One Academy, along with on-the-job training, during the next two years in preparation for commencement of work on the first aircraft in September 2026.
Two new P-8As are due to be delivered to RAAF in 2024 and 2025, with a provision for the upgrade contract to be extended beyond its current 2030 end date to accommodate these two aircraft.
