Boeing opens Queensland-first facility
Boeing boosted its ability to quickly deliver equipment to the Australian Defence Force today with the Minister for Defence Industry, Hon Melissa Price MP officially opening the Boeing Assembly and Test Facility in Brisbane.
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.
“To date, we have delivered ahead of schedule on all components of this complex system,” said Project Currawong program director, Ian Vett. “The opening of this facility strengthens our agile development capability even further.”
While it is currently used primarily for Project Currawong, the facility has applications to other programs and the broader defence industry.
“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,” said Vett.
The facility houses a number of chambers that 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.
“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,” said Vett.
“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.”
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.
