Orontide appoints new CEO

Orontide Group has announced the appointment of Tony McClure as its new Chief Executive Officer.

MSA Safety will supply the Australian Defence Force with the MSA M1 self-contained breathing apparatus.

The US State Department has announced the approval of three arms packages for Taiwan, giving it the go ahead to purchase two different types of loitering munitions and spare parts for its F-16 fighter jets | Micah Young

Sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of Air Warfare Destroyers has shifted to a truly integrated model with BAE Systems Australia commencing its role as the first (in service) Capability Life Cycle Manager for the Commonwealth Government.

Australian-company Boresight announced on 29 June that it had shipped its largest ever order of Boresight BQ400 target Uncrewed Aerial Systems to an undisclosed US Government customer.

The Army has taken delivery of another batch of Sikorsky UH-60M battlefield helicopters, bringing the total in service to six. The most recent helicopters arrived at RAAF Richmond on 17 June | Nigel Pittaway

Boeing has completed upgrade and life extension work on the first two service life modification F/A-18 Block III Super Hornets.

Boeing to deliver deployed communications for Project Air 6500

Boeing has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin Australia to deliver the deployed communications elements of the Australian Defence Force’s next generation Joint Air Battle Management System under Project Air 6500.

Portugal receives second KC-390

Embraer has delivered the second KC-390 multi-mission aircraft to the Portuguese Air Force. The platform includes standard NATO equipment already integrated into the aircraft.

Former US Navy Secretary appointed as new Austal Chairman

Austal's founding Chairman, John Rothwell, will retire from the role on 1 July 2024 to take up a position as a non-executive board member. He will be replaced by Richard V Spencer, who was the US Secretary of the Navy between 2017 and 2019.

Embraer Eyes NZ 757 replacement

A senior official for Brazilian aircraft manufacture Embraer has confirmed that the company is closely monitoring Wellington’s plans to replace two elderly Boeing 757 aircraft flying with the Royal New Zealand Air Force | Nigel Pittaway

Australia to export land-based Naval Strike Missile command and control systems

Kongsberg Defence Australia will provide Australian-made Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence System command and control consoles to parent company, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace.

New partnership for industry in Queensland

The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance and Manufacturing Skills Queensland have forged a strategic partnership aimed at leveraging local Queensland intelligence to inform workforce planning and training product development.

Project Air 5431 achieves IOC at Oakey

Hensoldt Australia's new Air Traffic Control sensor at Army Aviation Centre Oakey has achieved Initial Operational Capability for the Royal Australian Air Force as part of Project Air 5431 Phase 2.

Defence effective at managing, not evaluating, recruitment campaigns

The ANAO has given Defence a tick for its management of three advertising campaigns promoting recruiting. But it doesn’t actually know if they were effective in attracting fresh recruits | Max Blenkin

Fijian Government greenlights Bushmaster buy

During a Cabinet meeting on 18 June the government of Fiji approved a proposed purchase of 14 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles from Australia. The sale will more than double Fiji's fleet of Bushmasters to 24 vehicles.

Two more Guardians for the Pacific

Austal Australia has been awarded a $39 million contract by Defence to build two more Guardian class patrol boats. The new vessels will allow Defence to replace damaged patrol boats and provide a second vessel to Kiribati | Ben Felton

Batch one Hunter class build contract signed

Steel was cut on the first of six Hunter class frigates, the future HMAS Hunter, by the Minister for Defence and Premier of South Australia during a ceremony on 21 June.

How Australia’s expanding defence force prioritises resilience and long-term capability development

Australia’s national defence landscape is undergoing significant transformation. The National Defence Strategy highlights a workforce crisis that must be addressed quickly given increasing global security challenges | Mike Sacco