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Jayben Group has joined 20 other local SMEs supporting Insitu Pacific’s LAND 129 Phase 3 bid.
Insitu Pacific has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Jayben Group — a Tasmania-based firm that specialises in light to medium industrial plant and equipment, which includes design, engineering, manufacture, and domestic and international distribution.
The agreement is aimed at supporting the development and delivery of integrated launch and recovery hardware, as part of Insitu Pacific’s bid to supply tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to the Australian Army as part of the LAND 129 Phase 3 program.
Jayben Group, which has joined a team of over 20 other local SMEs participating in the project, is expected to be involved in the delivery of aircraft launch and recovery equipment that does not require nets or runways.
“Jayben Group has proven expertise in local design, modification and manufacture that can meet bespoke mobility and transport requirements in the production of launch and recovery equipment for the ADF as well as our Asia-Pacific regional customers,” Andrew Duggan, managing director of Insitu Pacific, said.
“Building local capacity has the potential to create prospects for growth of a new technology industry within Tasmania and Royal Park, South Australia, along with sustainable jobs growth.
“It also introduces opportunities to export locally developed technology into new global markets.”
According to Insitu, local production would support a “cost-effective build phase” and design modifications that meet the Australian Army’s specific vehicle requirements and roadworthiness demands.
The firm noted a local industrial base would also provide “rapid support” to deeper maintenance, and flexibility and responsiveness in adapting to future capability requirements.
Allan Johnson, director of Jayben Group, said the Insitu partnership has presented the firm with new opportunities to expand into the defence sector.
“Our team’s expertise, the redevelopment of the Burnie facility in 2020, and a strong local supply chain put Jayben in a strong position to partner for ADF work and export opportunities,” Johnson said.
“We look forward to leveraging our ongoing investment in our local community and building on our relationship with Insitu Pacific to explore opportunities to provide design, build and manufacturing services in support of the ADF.”
Duggan concluded: “Insitu Pacific is committed working with other Australian small-to-medium sized enterprises such as Jayben that can readily support local defence requirements.
“We believe we’ve selected a best-in-class group of suppliers to support our LAND 129 Phase 3 proposal and look forward to building on these capabilities to deliver effective UAS services and generate export potential.”
[Related: Insitu Pacific launches virtual classroom for Defence]
