VICTORIA DELIVERS ON DEFENCE

The Federal Government has committed to the largest naval shipbuilding program in the nation’s history as well as the development and manufacture of the next generation of military vehicles. These and other Defence projects – totalling up to $200 billion – represent immense financial, engineering, technological and construction challenges.

PROVEN EXPERTISE – DEFENCE EXCELLENCE

Defence is a key sector of Victoria’s economy, contributing up to $8 billion annually. The state has proven expertise across the spectrum of defence capabilities: land, aerospace, maritime, weapons and munitions, digital/cyber security, and research and development. The Victorian Government actively liaises with the Commonwealth Department of Defence and the defence industry to identify and ensure that Victoria’s defence industry can capitalise on future opportunities, including in domestic and international defence programs.

VICTORIA’S DEFENCE INDUSTRY

Victoria’s defence sector comprises more than 400 businesses and around 20,000 people: 7,000 in industry and 13,000 in the Australian Defence Organisation.

The preferred destination for many global and Australian businesses, Victoria is the home of advanced manufacturing, underpinned by world class research and development capabilities. It has a highly skilled workforce and a strong record in delivering complex defence projects for the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force.

This includes manufacture and construction of military vehicles (Bushmaster and Hawkei), 64 per cent by value of Australian contracts for the global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project, construction of naval ships, such as landing helicopter dock ships (HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide), weapons and munitions manufacture (Nulka Active Missile Decoy, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile System), the majority of Australia’s pilot training from 2019 (RAAF Base East Sale), as well as being the centre for the nation’s digital and cyber capabilities.

Victoria, as a state with proven expertise in delivering complex defence projects and recognised globally for innovation and world class defence industry capabilities, stands ready to contribute to Australia’s future defence needs.

A robust and responsive local supply chain network plays a vital role in building and sustaining multiple defence platforms. More than 400 small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) underpin and contribute to numerous national defence projects.

Australia’s defence relies heavily on Victorian based industry, science and research. Victoria is the centre of Australia’s research and development capability, home to world leaders in innovation, new technologies, and advanced manufacturing.

Victoria has nine world class universities, including Australia’s highest ranked university and the fourth highest in the Asia Pacific, University of Melbourne.

Victoria is one of Australia’s leading states for graduates in information technology, engineering and related technologies. Defence technology research is undertaken by Victorian tertiary institutions, often in collaboration with industry and international institutions.

The Defence Science Institute, Defence Materials Technology Centre, elements of the Defence Science and Technology Group and the Australian Manufacturing and Materials precinct are all based in Melbourne.

VICTORIAN DEFENCE SECTOR SNAPSHOT

• Adds up to $8 billion annually to Victoria’s economy

• Defence sector employs 20,000

• Large and connected defence industry supply chain

• +400 defence businesses:

» +300 land systems

» +270 maritime

» +230 aerospace

» +240 submarine

» +140 digital/cyber

• 64% by value of Australia’s Joint Strike Fighter contracts

• 30% of Australia’s engineering graduates

• 90,988 university graduates (highest in Australia)

• 40% of biotech/medical equipment businesses

• Australian International Airshow (Avalon):

» +200,000 people (trade and public)

» Contributes $100 million biennially to Victoria’s economy

• 17 key ADF bases and facilities

• Bushmaster Protected Military Vehicle - Bendigo

• Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle (1,100 vehicles, 1,000 trailers) - Bendigo

• F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (64 per cent by value of all contracts awarded to Australia)

• New ADF Pilot Training System (Lockheed Martin) – RAAF Base East Sale (from 2019)

• West Sale aerodrome upgrade

• Thales Australia Melbourne Centre of Excellence for Air Traffic Management

• Nulka Active Missile Decoy (anti-ship missile)

• Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile

• Air and sea launched countermeasures (Chemring)

• AIR 5431 Phase 3 – OneSKY Thales $1.2 billion

KEY PROJECTS

• Significant capabilities in the design, development and manufacture of a range of military vehicles.

• Lead Australian state for the Joint Strike Fighter global supply chain work

• National hub for research and development of emerging defence related technologies, with a world class tertiary education sector supported by a large engineering and technical workforce

• Track record in naval shipbuilding, systems design, engineering and Through Life Support

• Leader in complex systems design development, integration and support

• Leading state for ICT and cyber security expertise (electronic surveillance and countermeasures, radar and sonar systems, communications systems and robotics)

• Leading manufacturer of explosives and munitions

• Lead state for pilot training

• World class testing facilities

VICTORIA’S STRENGTHS AND CAPABILITIES

A key strength of Victoria’s defence capability is its industry supply chain. Hundreds of Victorian SMEs have a proven record in contributing to capabilities used by the Australian Defence Force.

This includes:

• Design, electrical and electronics

• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

• Engines and propulsion

• Modelling and simulation

• ICT and software

• Safety and training systems

• Manufacturing and fabrication

• Advanced composite materials and production

• Materials technology

• Unmanned aerial vehicles

• Systems integration and engineering

• Air traffic management systems

• Fluid dynamics research

• Maintenance, repair and overhaul

A STRONG SUPPLY CHAIN

• Intelligent systems design

• Antennae and radio communications

• Advanced visualisation tools

• Cyber security

• Communications and control systems

• Robotics

• Professional services

• Electronic surveillance and countermeasures

• Battery technologies

• Digital periscope systems

• Radar and sonar systems

LEADING DEFENCE BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS IN VICTORIA

• A.W. Bell

• Adacel Technologies

• AME Systems Pty Ltd

• Agent Oriented Software Australia

• Aquaterro

• Atlas Tooling

• Australian Defence Apparel

• BAE Systems Australia

• Bauer Engineering

• BMT Design and Technology

• Boeing Aerostructures Australia

• Cablex

• Cambridge Technologies

• Chemring Australia

• DefendTex

• DEK Technologies

• DVR Engineering

• Elbit Systems

• Ericsson

• Fluid Dynamics

• GP Sat Systems Australia

• Groundmaster Engineering

• Hoffman Engineering

• Hosico Engineering Group

• IBM

• Integrated Design & Engineering Solutions

• Invenio

• L3 Technologies

• Leidos

• Lockheed Martin

• Lovitt Technologies

• Mackay Consolidated Industries

• Marand

• Memko

• Moog

• Navantia

• NEC

• Pennant Australia

• PHM Technology

• Quickstep

• QinetiQ

• RUAG

• Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles

• Saab

• Siemens

• Supacat Australia

• SYPAQ Systems

• Tectonica

• Telstra

• Textron Systems Australia

• Thales Australia

• Titomic

• Winchester Australia

• YTEK

Victoria has exceptional expertise in the design, development and manufacture of military vehicles for Australian and overseas customers.

The engineering design and development capabilities of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and Supacat Australia are resident in Melbourne. The upgrade of the M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier was largely conducted in Wodonga by BAE Systems Australia.

Thales, together with other prime defence companies and Victoria’s highly skilled industry supply chain, has manufactured the combat proven Bushmaster Protected Military Vehicle. The Bushmaster has proved highly successful in ADF operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, providing Australian troops with mobility and protection, particularly against Improvised Explosive Devices.

Thales’ Bendigo plant is designing and manufacturing 1,100 Hawkei vehicles and 1,000 trailers as part of a $1.3 billion contract with the Australian Defence Force. 70% of Australian Tier One suppliers in the Hawkei program are Victorian.

Victoria is also home to the Land Systems Division of the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, the principal buyer of military vehicles and other land based systems for the Department of Defence. Locating major vehicle programs in close proximity to the Land Systems Division eases and enhances the day-to-day interaction between the buyer and supplier of these programs, strengthening their relationship and deepening the cooperation between defence and industry, a key tenant of the Commonwealth Government’s 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement.

LEADING STATE FOR MILITARY VEHICLES

The Victorian Government purchased 32.6 hectares at the former General Motors Holden site at Fishermans Bend in 2016 and is transforming it into a new Precinct of Excellence for advanced manufacturing, design and engineering.

It is located less than 5 kilometres from Melbourne’s Central Business District and offers easy access to major roads, airports and seaports. It is close to world class infrastructure, including Port of Melbourne, Webb Dock, Melbourne Airport, the West Gate Freeway and CityLink.

The Government’s vision is for Fishermans Bend to be a world class advanced manufacturing and engineering hub with a focus on the defence and advances technologies industries.

Fisherman’s Bend is home to Australia’s largest aerospace contract, where Boeing Aerostructures Australia manufactures the ‘moveable trailing edge’ control surfaces of the 787 using carbon fibre technology, worth $5 billion over 20 years.

A NEW INNOVATION HUB AT FISHERMANS BEND

Supacat and elements of the Defence Science and Technology Group are also located at Fishermans Bend, and the University of Melbourne has announced that its School of Engineering will relocate there. This will see more than 1,000 new engineering and IT students and academics collaborate with industry leaders, and will cement Fishermans Bend as Australia’s new home for the skills and technologies that will help drive Victoria’s economic growth well into the 21st century.

The high-skilled jobs that will be created at Fishermans Bend will help ensure that Victoria’s defence industry remains innovative, globally competitive and at the leading edge of providers serving the Australian Defence Force and global supply chains.

A WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE

Battlefield conditions and threat systems will change and continue to become increasingly sophisticated. The Victorian Government wants to ensure that Australia’s fighting women and men have the best systems and technology available to them.

Victoria is a global leader in research and development. The state has one of the largest research and development clusters in the southern hemisphere producing world-leading, commercially focused and ground-breaking research.

The depth of Victoria’s industrial and R&D capabilities strongly positions the state to work collaboratively with the Defence Science and Technology Group to deliver leading edge technologies and capabilities to the Australian Defence Force.

Defence research is undertaken at a number of leading research institutes and organisations:

Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group)

Australia’s second largest publicly-funded research and development organisation has a significant presence in Melbourne with strong capabilities in electronics, systems engineering, platform information systems, autonomous systems and other digital and electronic technology.

Defence Science Institute (DSI)

The DSI harnesses the capabilities of Victoria’s universities to deliver integrated multi-disciplinary solutions for the defence sector, and facilitate the growth of defence science research networks between academia, the DST Group and defence industry. To date DSI has helped attract more than $60M investment in Victorian defence research activities from outside the state.

Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC)

The DMTC works collaboratively with Australian industry, research and government agencies to advance technologies in priority areas. Its focus is on delivering enhanced defence and national security capabilities, and strengthening Australian industrial capacity.

Australian Manufacturing and Materials Precinct

Home to 40 per cent of Victoria’s manufacturing companies, as well as CSIRO, Monash University and the Australian Synchrotron.

Victorian universities

Melbourne, Monash, La Trobe, Deakin, RMIT, Swinburne, Victoria, Australian Catholic and Federation universities all have world class research capabilities.

The Victorian Government is strongly committed to growing its defence industry sector, which has been identified as a priority sector with the potential for significant growth. The state’s existing capabilities match global defence industry needs and Victoria has a growing reputation for innovation and excellence. A Future Industries Fund of more than $270 million has been established to grow key priority sectors through job-creating grants to Victorian businesses.

The Victorian Government has articulated its strategy to grow the defence industry sector with the launch of a Defence Technologies Sector Strategy in March 2016. This Strategy outlines Victoria’s strengths, skills and capacity which will place it at the forefront of the next generation of defence and cyberdefence technologies. Key actions include strengthening Victoria’s defence supply chain, investing in advanced and innovative defence technologies, investing in infrastructure, leading the diversification and globalisation of a national defence industry and capitalising on Victoria’s competitive advantages to maximise Victoria’s share of domestic defence programs and further its reach into emerging markets.

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT DEFENCE SECTOR PRIORITIES

• Bridges Barracks, Puckapunyal

• Defence Plaza Melbourne

• Defence Science and Technology Group, Fishermans Bend

• Fort Gellibrand, Williamstown

• Fort Queenscliff

• Gaza Ridge Barracks, Bandiana

• HMAS Cerberus, Crib Point

• Hopkins Barracks, Puckapunyal

• Latchford Barracks, Bonegilla

• Monegeeta Proving Ground

• RAAF Base East Sale

• RAAF Williams, Laverton

• RAAF Williams, Point Cook

• Simpson Barracks, Watsonia

• Tobruk Barracks, Puckapunyal

• Victoria Barracks Melbourne

• Wadsworth Barracks, Bandiana

KEY AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE BASES AND FACILITIES IN VICTORIA

DEDJTR 11707_0818

FURTHER INFORMATION

Defence, Aerospace & Security Sector

Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

+61 (3) 9651 8053

defence@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Australian Industry & Defence Network – Victoria

+61 (3) 9886 9278

aidnvic@aidnvic.org.au

Victorian Defence Alliances

victoriandefencealliances.org.au

Images: Hawkei and Bushmaster vehicles courtesy of Thales Australia. Uniforms and uniform manufacturing images courtesy of Australian Defence Apparel. HMT courtesy of Supacat.