Defence
South Australia is Australia’s 'defence state' and the
high-technology centre for the nation's defence industry.
The State has top scientific, research and educational institutions, a highly skilled workforce and state-of-the-art infrastructure – all contributing to a defence industry that delivers specialist services and products for the Australian Defence Force and other defence forces around the world.
South Australia has a track record of winning and delivering major defence projects. In the past five years it has secured billions of dollars worth of new defence and security projects that will provide opportunities for some years.
The projects include:
- the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer Contract
- a 10-year $1 billion deal to maintain and upgrade the AP-3C Orion aircraft fleet
- a multi-billion dollar contract for Collins class submarine through-life support
- the 1,200 personnel 7RAR Battle Group, to be moved to Edinburgh, in Adelaide’s north, in 2011
- the $1 billion customs Project Sentinel contract – the world’s largest fixed-wing civil maritime surveillance program
- assembly of the 12 future submarines.
The South Australian Government has established three distinct defence precincts to ensure companies can network and collaborate:
- Techport Australia is Australia’s premier naval industry hub, focused on naval shipbuilding, systems and sustainment.
- Technology Park Adelaide is a high-technology precinct of defence electronics and systems development at Mawson Lakes.
- Edinburgh Parks in Adelaide’s north is focused on defence research manufacturing and sustainment in the land and aerospace environments.
Within these precincts can be found evidence of South Australia world-leading expertise in:
- systems integration
- electronic warfare
- naval shipbuilding and submarine support
- land force enhancement
- intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance
- defence research and development.
Major defence companies in Adelaide include ASC, the AWD Alliance, BAE Systems Australia, Raytheon Australia, Lockheed Martin, Saab Technologies Australia, Nova Defence and Australian Aerospace.
South Australia’s defence capability is underpinned by the presence of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). The State’s three long-standing universities and TAFE SA’s strong vocational education programs have recently been joined by Carnegie Mellon and Cranfield universities in providing world-class defence-related study options.
Links
