Lockheed Martin Australia has signed a $500 million contract with the Department of Defence to build Australia’s future Joint Air Battle Management System under project - Air 6500 Phase 1 (Air 6500-1). This will provide Defence with an advanced integrated air and missile defence capability able to combat high-speed threats.
According to the Department of Defence, Project Air 6500 will also deliver four advanced air-defence radars, manufactured by Canberra-based CEA Technologies, with the first delivery scheduled for this year.
Lockheed Martin Australia stated that Air 6500-1 will be built in Australia by Australians, with a significant majority of the Air 6500-1 program workshare to be allocated across Australian industry.
Air 6500-1 comprises an eight-year strategic partnership that Lockheed Martin Australia says will generate important economic benefits, including 230 jobs, across Adelaide, Williamtown and Canberra. The company also said that the program will create around a further 300 in-direct jobs across the air and missile defence supply chain, including through future export opportunities.
“Air 6500-1 will give Australia and our allies a greater level of connectivity and interoperability to counter current and future air and missile threats,” said Air Marshal (ret) Warren McDonald, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand.
“In a contested and fast-moving environment, AIR6500-1 will give decision makers more time to consider and respond to a situation – time in these circumstances is a precious commodity.”
Before the contract was signed, Lockheed Martin Australia stated that it developed an Operator Evaluation System for the Joint Air Battle Management System. This, the company said, was delivered ahead of schedule and on budget.
According to Lockheed Martin Australia, the system will allow Defence’s air battle managers to access a secure test environment to provide feedback on Air 6500-1’s design and functionality.