Lockheed Martin Australia’s electronic systems facility, at Mawson Lakes, South Australia, was officially opened by Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia, this week.
Following Lockheed Martin Australia’s successful acquisition of RLM Group in 2008, its workforce grew to more than 400, making a larger facility necessary. With 200 employees still based in Adelaide, Lockheed Martin Australia Electronic Systems (LMAES) also will retain its original facility at Edinburgh.
After successfully delivering the JORN Over the Horizon Radar to the Australian Government, Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the Over The Horizon Systems Program Office and BAE Systems, has continued to provide sustainment for the program and is currently developing enhancements under the JORN Phase 5 program.
Jack Mahoney, General Manager of LMAES, said the Mawson Lakes facility, in conjunction with LMAES facilities in Newcastle, NSW, also would carry out sustainment work on the Australian Defence Force’s Tactical Air Defence Radar Systems, one of which has recently completed a successful deployment in Afghanistan.
“Going forward,” Mahoney added, “employees at this facility will work with Lockheed Martin colleagues in Victoria and in the U.S. to pursue upcoming programs in Aeronautics, Command and Control, including JORN Phase 6, and Maritime programs, including upgrading the Collins-class submarines and development of the Future Submarine.”
At the official opening, Premier Rann also announced that LMAES, in supporting the further growth of the defence industry in SA, had made a $750,000, three-year commitment to the Defence Systems Innovation Centre (DSIC), for a range of services including consulting and task-specific support, education and training courses as well as applied research.