Lockheed Martin Australia is celebrating two decades of sustaining the Royal Australian Air Force’s Tactical Air Defence Radar System while strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence industry.
Lockheed Martin Australia has marked 20 years of sustaining the Royal Australian Air Force’s Tactical Air Defence Radar System, highlighting the program’s contribution to Australia’s ground-based air and missile defence capability and the growth of sovereign industry in the Hunter region.
Based on the AN/TPS-77 radar, the TADRS has delivered more than 150,000 hours of operational service over the past two decades, enabling the Australian Defence Force to detect, track and counter airborne threats in real time across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The long-running sustainment program has also helped establish a regional industrial base centred around Williamtown, New South Wales. Lockheed Martin Australia has grown a workforce of more than 65 highly skilled personnel and collaborated with more than 170 regional suppliers.
Key industry partners include Daronmont Technologies, Varley Group, R&R Murphy, AFL Telecom and Rojone. Together, the companies have supported continuous hardware and software upgrades, advanced systems integration and technology enhancements to ensure the radar system remains dependable, secure and mission ready.
To support the ADF’s priorities for agile, layered air and missile defence, Lockheed Martin Australia has redesigned elements of the TADRS to reduce its operational footprint, improve safety, increase mobility and enable faster deployment.
As part of the system’s ongoing evolution, the company delivered five new command and control systems to support the ADF’s ground-based battle management during Talisman Sabre 2025. The TADRS has also been upgraded with integrated voice communication technology to support international deployments.
Lockheed Martin Australia said these developments have been enabled through a technology transfer program from Lockheed Martin Corporation, bringing advanced radar technology, expertise and production knowledge into Australia’s industrial base while supporting long-term sovereign capability.
Philip Gordon, director international strategy & business development, Rotary and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin Australia, said the company’s Williamtown team had continued to evolve alongside the ADF’s operational requirements.
“We have built a highly responsive and technically proficient team at Williamtown that has consistently adapted to the evolving needs of the ADF,” said Philip Gordon, Director International Strategy & Business Development, Rotary and Mission Systems, Lockheed Martin Australia.
“The lessons learned from sustaining the legacy TADRS will be carried forward into the air battle management enterprise, ensuring a seamless transition to future air defence platforms and a stronger, more integrated defence capability for Australia.”
Jeremy King, chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, said the milestone reflected the enduring partnership between industry and Defence.
“I commend the Royal Australian Air Force and industry on this remarkable milestone. It is a testament to the enduring partnership between the ADF and our industry partners.”
“TADRS has been a mainstay of Australia’s security operations. For 20 years, the joint team has proudly sustained the ‘eyes’ of Australia’s ground-based air defence, working together to deliver the capabilities Australia needs to respond to advancing air and missile threats.”
Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia employs more than 1,900 people across Australia, supporting major programs in the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.
