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H&B Defence and the Victorian government have signed an MOU, signifying their commitment to growing the defence sector in the state.
H&B Defence managing director Tim Brown and Victorian Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing Colin Brooks have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney on Tuesday.
Aiming to increase Victoria’s defence supply chain and industry, as well as increase a skilled workforce in defence manufacturing, the MOU signified the joint commitment to collaborating on initiatives aligned with the AUKUS security partnership and national defence security goals.
“Victoria’s MOU with H&B Defence draws on the expertise of two of the largest defence companies in the world and builds on our advanced manufacturing capabilities and highly skilled workforce – taking our contribution to AUKUS to the next level,” Minister Brooks said.
“Victoria is well-equipped to take advantage of new opportunities emerging from AUKUS and our record attendance at Indo Pac demonstrates the breadth of our extensive defence maritime capabilities to a global audience.”
The objectives involve delivering a target supply chain to match UK and US shipbuilding requirements, collaborating with STEM institutions, tertiary and trade education sectors to strengthen the workforce and attract defence investment into the Victorian government.
“This MOU complements ongoing efforts by H&B Defence to qualify Australian suppliers for participation in the US submarine industrial base and supports long-term trilateral defence objectives, including those in the UK,” Brown said.
“It also advances the development of genuine sovereign capability in Australia, helping to share the burden of allied shipyards and enabling the timely delivery of both US and Australian Virginia Class nuclear-powered attack submarines to strengthen collective deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
“We look forward to working with the Victorian government to further position the state’s workforce and supply chain to seize global defence manufacturing opportunities.”
