Chemring Australia, based in Lara near Geelong in Victoria has secured a USD$107.5 million contract with the U.S. Navy for the production and delivery of countermeasure flares for Australian, US and international Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter operators.
Minister for Defence Senator Linda Reynolds said the contract represents the culmination of a multi-year joint effort between the US Government, the Australian Government and Chemring Group to qualify Chemring Australia to produce countermeasures for the global F-35 fleet.
“This is a strong endorsement of our domestic manufacturing capability, and the policies we’ve put in place to bolster our sovereign defence capability,” Minister Reynolds said.
“This contract will also aid the ongoing advancement of a domestic munitions manufacturing capability – one of 10 Sovereign Industry Capability Priorities under our Defence Industrial Capability Plan.”
The company is a manufacturer and supplier of air-launched countermeasures against sophisticated electronic systems, and has been working with Defence the US Navy’s Naval Air Systems team since 2011 to qualify Chemring Australia as the second source supplier of the MJU-68 countermeasure, and MJU-61 training flares.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said Australian industry continues to perform outstandingly as part of the global F-35 Program.
“This is a significant milestone, not only for Chemring Australia, but for Australia’s defence industry as a whole,” Minister Price said.
To date, more than 50 Australian companies have shared in almost AUD$1.7 billion in production contracts as part of the global F-35 Program, employing over 2,400 Australians.
