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Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price has opened Boeing Defence Australia’s brand new assembly and test facility at Wacol, which the government said is a strong sign of continued growth in Australia’s defence industry.
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The $7.5 million facility will be used for the assembly and testing of the new Integrated Battlefield Telecommunications Network that Boeing is designing and producing locally, under its $700 million contract with Defence for LAND 2072 Phase 2B – Project Currawong.
"This facility is a further demonstration that major companies are seeing the opportunities and making significant investments in Australia’s defence industry," Minister Price said.
The ground-breaking environmental and electromagnetic test facility enables all design, development, testing and assembly for Boeing Defence Australia’s world-leading battlespace communication system, Project Currawong, to be completed locally.
The modern Currawong Battlespace Communications System replaces bulky, static and complicated legacy systems with a mobile, scalable and easy to operate ‘plug and play’ communications capability that can be quickly established in theatre.
"It’s also further proof the Morrison government’s record $200 billion investment in defence capability is creating the right conditions for job creation in this important sector. I congratulate Defence and Boeing for delivering world-leading technology that is agile in meeting warfighting requirements, ahead of schedule," Minister Price said.
The facility houses a number of chambers which simulate severe environmental conditions such as extreme heat and cold, sand and dust, and salt and altitude on the physical and operational performance of equipment.
"I’m encouraged to see Boeing employ 210 people here in Brisbane and work with more than 200 small businesses in the production and supply of components."
In addition to the environmental test chambers, the facility includes a large electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) chamber to eliminate radio interference during testing, and areas to assemble, integrate and store equipment, including building trailer and vehicle-mounted capability.
Project Currawong program director Ian Vett said, "The opening of this facility strengthens our agile development capability even further. Our supply chain will also have access to this state-of-the-art equipment in line with our commitment to continuing to build Australia’s sovereign defence capability."
In addition to demonstrating the on-the-move capability, Currawong’s Release 1 equipment – comprising a large man-portable, modular core black data network, communication bearers, a mission system manager, and field voice services – was fully deployed at Talisman Sabre to support the two weeks of war games.
Boeing Defence Australia delivered the new network under LAND 2072 Phase 2B, which included the core communication network software and hardware, along with 39 deployable communication nodes to date.
"In practical terms, this means deployed forces can effectively communicate with each other and headquarters in conditions ranging from deep snow to harsh desert environments, and that the equipment will be robust enough to operate from sea level to high altitudes," Vett added.
This first tranche of the equipment delivered includes 18 deployable communication nodes and an Australian fixed strategic communications anchor site. This incorporates Boeing’s core communication system components, the network access module and mission system management, which connect and manage the communication bearers and services Boeing and its partners are bringing to the program.
Vett said, "The capability enabled by this facility is just another way that Boeing is working with Defence to provide world-class equipment that is highly dependable on operational deployment."
