Sensational-Adelaide.com

ADELAIDE, Sep 08, 2009 -- BAE Systems has won a A$94 million (US$80.39 million) contract to enhance and support Australian Defence Force (ADF) satellite communications.

The contract requires the company's joint business unit to build and deliver a new satellite ground station in Western Australia and provide an integrated network management system.

The ground station and network management system are due to be operational by 2013.

Joint business unit director Kim Scott said on Tuesday the contract was an important milestone that cemented the company's satellite communications capability (SATCOM).

"Coming on top of our other defence SATCOM contracts, this selection brings us one big step closer to our goal of becoming the ADF's capability partner in this domain," he said in a statement.

bva wrote:I am more impressed that Kim Scott is the guy from the Mark of Cain!!
Hope they make another record soon.
Ill at Ease is an SA classic...
Remember meeting a bunch of guys in Munich who loved Adelaide because of this band

Pistol wrote:Just as I suspected, there hasn't been much hype over the future sub contract due to the fact that no real decision has been made re location of construction...

Wayno wrote:

bva wrote:I am more impressed that Kim Scott is the guy from the Mark of Cain!!
Hope they make another record soon.
Ill at Ease is an SA classic...
Remember meeting a bunch of guys in Munich who loved Adelaide because of this band

really? can you prove this? cool...

SRW wrote:

Pistol wrote:Just as I suspected, there hasn't been much hype over the future sub contract due to the fact that no real decision has been made re location of construction...

No, it's decided that they will be built in Adelaide, it's just not yet decided what or by whom (remember, we're at the very beginning of a long term project -- these subs won't all be in service until after 2030). There's really no other option but to build them here, as we have the only facility in the country that is capable of doing the job and the immense cost of the project will put too great a pressure on limiting overheads to invest in another facility elsewhere.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA SET TO BENEFIT FROM RUDD GOVERNMENT'S INVESTMENT IN DEFENCE
Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, today at the Defence and Industry Conference in Adelaide outlined the benefits for South Australia of the Rudd Government's Defence Program.

South Australia currently supports the Defence Material Organisation (DMO) in a wide range of projects including support for the AP-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, the construction of three new Air Warfare Destroyers and through-life-support for Collins Class submarines.

The White Paper has also confirmed that the State is also set to be the assembly site for the Future Submarine project.

Pistol wrote:I hope that I am wrong - thats all I will say.
And I have read the Defence White Paper - its part of my job.

ASC in hunt for $12bn frigates
KIM WHEATLEY
September 17, 2009 12:01am

THE Adelaide company playing a key role in the nation's two biggest defence projects is eyeing another lucrative contract.
The ASC said it is keen to bid for the contract to build eight, anti-submarine frigates to replace the Anzac fleet, on top of the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer and the $30 billion next generation submarine projects.
The Federal Government yet has to announce full details of the contract which is speculated to be worth as much as $12 billion with project development after 2019.
A successful bid would cement SA's reputation as the nation's defence industry hub and ensure jobs for decades.
"It's certainly a project that is of great interest to us, particularly with the sequencing of future submarine and then frigates following," ASC acting managing director and chief executive officer Graeme Bulmer said yesterday.
The ASC stressed its focus was on the destroyers and next generation of 12 submarines but the frigates were something it would turn its attention to "in due course".
Defence analysts say economies of scale would make the South Australian option a sensible one for the frigates.
"If the future frigates could be based on the same hull as the AWD then that would be one way to get better value for all the infrastructure being built for AWD," Dr Andrew Davies, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said.
"SA is very much on the front foot in terms of attracting defence business and thinking about future work flows . . . so SA would be rather well placed for this, because they're actually pretty good at this."
Four submarines are at Osborne as part of the ASC's $3.5 billion contract to maintain our six Collins-class fleet.
Maintenance was suspended over workers' fears of contamination from cadmium.
Mr Bulmer admitted the heavy metal, used in electrical equipment to prevent corrosion, had been an embarrassing "hiccup". He said the levels were found to be well below Australian standards and new procedures were in place to ensure contamination was minimised.
ASC is expected to announce its new chief executive officer within a month.

Defence firm targets car plant site
KIM WHEATLEY
October 01, 2009 12:01am
A EUROPEAN company bidding for a $1.5 billion defence contract has named South Australia as its preferred location to build 1300 light armoured vehicles.
The disused Mitsubishi site at Tonsley Park was discussed as an ideal location to build the fleet – labelled "SUVs on steroids" – in high-level talks in Switzerland this week.
Treasurer Kevin Foley met executives from military vehicle manufacturer MOWAG, a subsidiary of U.S. defence giant General Dynamics, during a 12-day trade mission that also included visits to the U.S., the United Kingdom and Spain.
Mr Foley said a successful MOWAG bid would guarantee jobs over three decades to build and maintain the fleet.
"These vehicles will be a major element of the armed forces and will be requiring significant ongoing maintenance and would lead to many, many new jobs here in SA," Mr Foley said from London, ahead of his return to Adelaide this morning. "It's a huge contract, and these are very labour-intensive constructions so there will be a lot of jobs involved.
"(General Dynamics) already have a facility in SA and are very, very open to the proposal to build in Adelaide and I'd be quietly confident that if they're successful, they'll pick Adelaide."
The $1.5 billion contract is part of Defence's $6 billion Land 121 Overlander project to replace all army vehicles.
Mr Foley confirmed rumours in defence circles that MOWAG was interested in Mitsubishi's Tonsley Park site, but said the company was also discussing other Adelaide options.
The Government has been negotiating to acquire the 65ha Mitsubishi site to transform it into a clean technology and renewable-energy hub.
"They would need a major facility in Adelaide, up to 20,000sq m, so Mitsubishi is certainly one site but it's not the only site," Mr Foley said.
"They're having a look at other options, they're in some commercially sensitive negotiations with a couple of locations."
Winning the contract would substantially enhance SA's reputation as a defence hub, broadening our naval success cemented by the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer and $30 billion next-generation submarines contracts.
It would also complement the expansion of the Edinburgh RAAF base, where 1200 personnel are being relocated from the 7RAR Mechanised Battalion in Darwin in 2011.
Mr Foley denied there was a need to offer incentives.
"With the critical mass that's being developed in SA now with the naval work, and the work we're doing for the Joint Strike Fighter, Adelaide is already developing such a status that firms want to be in Adelaide and don't need to be offered financial inducements," he said.
"Our next mission will be to support the company in their negotiations with the Federal Government."
While MOWAG appears to be a leading contender for the contract, it will be a fierce contest.
In Canberra this week, European defence giant Thales unveiled a mock-up of its seven-tonne vehicle called the "Hawkei", dubbed an "SUV on steroids", as part of its pitch for the contract.
Thales employs about 300 people at its Bendigo plant, which produces the Bushmaster armoured vehicle.
While the army has boosted orders for the vehicle, the plant has just three years of back orders and support contracts.
Bendigo is a marginal seat and its understood the Federal Opposition has been lobbying heavily for the Thales contract.
Companies are expected to produce a prototype by the end of next year, and the Federal Government is expected to choose the successful tender from 2012-13.
Mr Foley's trade mission, with Defence SA chief executive Andrew Fletcher, included talks with Spanish company Acciona, which is part of the winning bid to build the $1.8 million desalination plant at Port Stanvac.
Acciona operates two wind farms in SA and as a world-leading solar technology developer, is examining new options in the state.
The trade mission also included further discussions with the the U.S. Navy on Port Adelaide becoming a repair base for warships.

CRUCIAL preliminary work has begun on the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer project in Adelaide, leading up to full-scale production in the coming months.

Work is underway on fabricating a "pilot block" – a piece of the hull – for the first of three destroyers at the ASC's shipyard in Adelaide.

It will be examined by junior Defence Minister Greg Combet today. Mr Combet is also being briefed on work conducted with the United States on a military satellite communications project by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation.

He said SA was punching above its weight after securing the destroyer contract and the $30 billion next generation of submarines project.

"That's going to be the biggest defence procurement in history," he said.

Despite securing a large share of upcoming defence work, Mr Combet said SA was also in the running for the $1.5 billion light armoured vehicle contract through MOWAG, a subsidiary of U.S. defence giant General Dynamics.