Australia chose BAE Systems and Tasman Aviation Enterprises (TAE) to operate maintenance respojnsibilities for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) airframe and engine, its defence minister said on Feb. 11.
The companies secured regional maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade responsibilities for the aircraft.
This follows the announcement by the U.S. Department of Defense in December that Australia was assigned regional support for the F-35.
“The F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft in development or production anywhere in the world and securing this work in Australia is a great outcome for these companies,” Kevin Andrews, the Australian Defence Minister, said in a statement.
“With the F-35 global support system now being stood up and with our first aircraft due to arrive in Australia in 2018, the next few years will see more opportunities for Australian industry to support not only Australia’s F-35s but those in our region and around the globe,”
Andrews highlighted this is in addition to $433 million in production and development contracts won by Australian companies.
“The assignment of regional maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade responsibility to BAE and TAE will enable them to demonstrate the capability and capacity of Australian industry to support this leading edge capability,” Andrews said.
Expected revenues for the companies were not detailed in the announcement. According to Reuters, in December former Australian Defense Minister David Johnston said the country’s defence industry could win over $1.5 billion in F-35-related production and support over the program’s life.
TAE is based out of RAAF Base Amerley and was categorized by the Defence Ministry as “a leading aerospace engine maintenance service provider, supporting both military and commercial aircraft in the Asia Pacific Region.”