South Australian small business Airspeed has landed a contract with defence prime Thales Australia for the design and manufacture of key components for next-generation sonar systems.
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The contract marked a milestone for the government's Global Supply Chain Program, managed by the Centre for Defence Industry Capability and designed to support Australia's defence industry in exporting, with the program now reaching over $1 billion in contracts being awarded.
Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said as Australia's defence industry grows, so too has its defence exports.
"The achievement of over $1 billion in Global Supply Chain Program contracts is an impressive achievement, and evidence of our world class defence industry," Minister Pyne said.
"Airspeed’s success in delivering on this contract will embed the company in Thales’s supply chain and provide access to future export opportunities around the world."
Minister Pyne added that the latest contract is one of many that will be awarded in the year ahead, particularly with the LAND 400 Phase 2 project underway.
"The Global Supply Chain Program along with other export initiatives the government has announced this year will give Australian defence companies the support they need to grow, invest and deliver defence capability," he said.
"Australian small and medium businesses are often the beneficiaries of supply chain contracts. This was evident with the recent announcement of the Rheinmetall Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles with over 40 companies from across Australia contracted for the construction of the fleet."