Boeing Defence Australia to support Hawkei for Thales' Land 121 Phase 4 offering to the Australian Army
BRISBANE, Queensland, Aug. 1, 2012 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) will provide Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) during the next stage of development of Thales Australia's Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle - Light prototypes. The contract will be delivered under Stage 2 of the Manufactured and Supported in Australia option for the LAND 121 Phase 4 program.
Under the AU$3.5 million contract, BDA will deliver ILS services to the Thales team for six Hawkei prototypes and a trailer that will be delivered to the Australian government for further testing. During the 16-month prototype production and testing phase, BDA will work with Thales Australia to help increase the vehicles' long-term availability and maintainability, with the goal of reducing future support costs. This includes delivering development and training to operators, conducting logistics support analysis and providing logistic engineering support to the Thales design team.
"BDA and Thales Australia are a formidable team, and on this project we bring together the best of both companies -- BDA's leading in-country ILS expertise and Thales Australia's protected-vehicle design expertise," said Kim Gillis, managing director, BDA. "Major Australian Defence Force acquisition programs, such as Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control and Vigilare, have benefited from BDA's ILS services. We continue to provide operational lifecycle support for aircraft including classic Hornets, Super Hornets and the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program."
"Boeing's ILS capabilities are second to none, and we have benefited significantly from their proficiency and close collaboration in this area," said Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia CEO. "The Hawkei is very much a team effort, and Boeing's involvement since the project's early days has enabled us to deliver innovative prototypes specifically designed to meet the current and future requirements of the Australian Defence Force."