Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was in Adelaide yesterday, announcing a $297 million contract for Raytheon Australia to upgrade the weapons testing site at Woomera.
AAP reports that the 122,188 kilometre square area would be used for testing Joint Strike Fighter jets, and would be made available to the US.
The upgrade decision was made in April, reports Sky, but announced yesterday in the final week before the federal election.
“South Australia will become the centre of the most advanced shipbuilding technology, advanced manufacturing in the world,” The Australian reports him as saying.
“This is a remarkable development and it is one that will drive innovation right across the board.”
The site has been used for weapons testing since the end of World War Two. The testing system’s design, development, construction and integration would create 400 new jobs, Raytheon said.