Twenty five aviation technicians, including apprentices, who lost their jobs due to the impact of COVID-19 on the commercial aviation industry, have been employed by BAE Systems Australia to work on military aircraft.
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The former Jetstar employees will be based at Williamtown and their skills will be used to support the established Hawk Lead-In-Fighterand the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
The recruitment is the result of close collaboration between industry and the Department of Defence and will further develop and grow the critical technical capabilities of the Hunter Valley region to support a sovereign defence industry.
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"I am delighted that we can provide highly skilled jobs at a time when so many industries have been impacted by the pandemic.
"The Defence industry can be an important economic catalyst, particularly with our increasing emphasis on developing Australian expertise and ensuring Australian industry is key to our supply chain.
"Over the next five years we expect to grow our Williamtown workforce significantly to support Australia's growing F-35 fleet," BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Gabby Costigan said.
BAE Systems plays a key role in sustaining the F-35 advanced fighter aircraft, not only for Australia, but also for the wider Asia Pacific region.
Sustainment of the fifth generation fighter fleet is expected to directly create 360 jobs by 2025.
BAE Systems also sustains the 33 strong Australian fleet of Hawk Mk 127 'lead-in fighters' used to train pilots for combat aircraft such as the Royal Australian Air Force's F/A-18 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
"The addition of 25 specialists to our workforce will ensure that we can continue to develop, grow and retain critical aerospace capabilities that will benefit both the Hunter region and the nation," Mr Costigan said.
Lockheed Martin awarded F-35 training support services contract
The federal government has signed a a sovereign Training Support Services contract with Lockheed Martin Australia worth $100 million over five years.
The contract will see more than 70 Australian Defence Force personnel employed at RAAF Bases Williamtown and Tindal.
The agreement includes the operation and maintenance support for six F-35A Full Mission Simulators at Williamtown.
"There are plans to install four more simulators at RAAF Base Tindal in 2021, which would also be included under the support arrangements," Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said.
"The simulators at RAAF Bases Williamtown and Tindal have the ability to be networked together and share mission data to greatly enhance training."
This milestone coincides with the RAAF's withdrawal from pilot training arrangements at Luke Air Force Base in the United States, bringing training arrangements back to Australia.
Defence has already trained nine Australian pilots in the existing four simulators at the RAAF Base Williamtown Integrated Training Centre during 2020.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said this had coincided with Defence also delivering training to maintenance and support experts.
"Training has been delivered to more than 350 maintenance and support personnel in the Integrated Training Centre to date," she said.
"This agreement will see Australian industry training RAAF pilots and maintainers to operate and maintain Australia's F-35A to their fullest capability.
"With the six simulators in place by end 2020, all initial Australian F-35A pilot training will occur through the RAAF Base Williamtown Integrated Training Centre."