Page summary
A key player in aerospace
Victoria’s world-class aerospace design and manufacturing capabilities make a significant contribution to Australia’s military aerospace industry. Victoria is a key player in aerospace and is renowned for its:
- advanced manufacturing
- world-class research & development (R&D)
- highly skilled workforce.
Home to approximately 460 individual aerospace companies, Victoria is leading the way in delivering projects for the Australian and global defence industries, particularly those identified in the Commonwealth Government’s 2020 Force Structure Plan.
This includes:
- aircraft acquisition & upgrades
- new integrated air & missile defence systems
- enhanced command & control and radar systems.
Victoria’s military aerospace capabilities include:
- advanced composite materials & production
- component design, testing & certification
- simulation & modelling
- advanced manufacturing
- software development
- platform support & systems engineering
- air traffic management systems
- maintenance, repair & overhaul
- unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Strong air presence
Victoria’s major aerospace design, manufacturing and training initiatives include:
Over the past decade, Victorian companies have secured 65 per cent by value of all contracts awarded within Australia for the F-35 JSF project. The JSF project will supply 72 aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force, including associated facilities, weapons and training.
Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) is partnering with Melbourne-based companies Marand and Lovitt Technologies to deliver the JSF project. LMA and Marand will supply 700 F-35 vertical tail fins over the next 20 years. LMA and Lovitt Technologies will contribute to airframe design, component machining and materials analysis.
LMA has also partnered with Pilatus Aircraft and Hawker Pacific to provide a new Australian Defence Force pilot training system at the Royal Australian Air Force base in East Sale – a seven-year contract worth $1.2 billion, generating $2 billion for Victoria’s economy.
Find out more about Lockheed Martin Australia.
Melbourne is home to Boeing Aerostructures Australia and Boeing Australia’s R&D facilities, which produces the Boeing Airpower Teaming System Aircraft (Ghost Bat). This is the first Australian-designed and produced aircraft in more than 50 years.
Find out more about Boeing Australia.
Global aerospace company Leonardo established a helicopter gearbox repair and overhaul facility in the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct. It is the only one of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
Find out more about Leonardo Australia.
Melbourne based companies Textron Systems Australia and SYPAQ Systems design and manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles for military and civilian applications.
Find out more about Textron Systems Australia and SYPAQ Systems.
Thales’ Melbourne Centre of Excellence for Air Traffic Management (ATM) develops TopSky airspace control systems for civil and military use. The centre exports the systems across the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East.
TopSky contributes to a harmonised Civil Military Air Traffic Management System (OneSKY) for AirServices Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force.
Find out more about Thales Australia’s Melbourne Centre of Excellence for Air Traffic Management.
Victorian company AME Systems is only the third company globally to gain certification from Northrop Grumman to develop wire harnesses for the MQ-4C Triton.
Find out more about AME Systems.
Page last updated 19 Apr 2023