ADELAIDE: The country’s largest Combat Systems Integrator, Raytheon Australia, today opened its Naval and Integration Headquarters, the company’s newest facility in Adelaide, South Australia.
Joined by the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, Prime Minister of Australia, Managing Director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward said that Adelaide is now the headquarters of Raytheon Australia’s Naval and Integration workforce.
“For more than a decade, Raytheon Australia has had a strong presence in Adelaide. Today’s opening of our newest office – and our ambition to more than double our South Australian workforce within three years – confirms our commitment to Adelaide”, Mr Ward said.
“Raytheon Australia has a proven record of job creation in Adelaide. Building upon our depth of local expertise and investment in people and processes, we will continue to provide the strongest possible focus on Adelaide through the establishment of this new office.”
Raytheon Australia’s Adelaide workforce currently extends to 370. In addition to our large Air Warfare Destroyer programme team the company works with the Royal Australian Air Force’s Aerospace Operational Support Group in addition to the company’s other South Australian operations.
The Air Warfare Destroyer programme has afforded the company the opportunity to build the country’s premier combat system integration capability situated in Adelaide. The AWD Systems Centre and the adjoining Raytheon Australia facility at Techport, now boast a strong engineering capability of Raytheon Australia employees that can be readily applied to the Future Submarine programme.
Adelaide will be the focus of Raytheon Australia’s efforts related to the Future Submarine project should the company be selected as Combat System Integrator. Raytheon Australia’s plan for the project, drawing on our ready now workforce, is for sustainable, long term, highly skilled work in Australia for Australians. From day one the company will use Australians, not a fly in, fly out workforce from another country. The company will also draw upon its established relationships with 500 Australian small to medium enterprises.
Today’s office opening was also an opportunity to celebrate the announcement that Raytheon Australia will partner with the Commonwealth to develop the Test Range System within the Woomera Prohibited Area of South Australia.
Michael Ward said that Raytheon Australia welcomed this investment by the Australian Government in the local defence industry and high skilled Australian jobs. “This is an investment in a home grown sovereign capability as well as in the safety and security of our nation”, Mr Ward said.
As a result, the Adelaide Office will be home to a new Test and Training Range Systems Integration laboratory. Adelaide will also be home to the second Raytheon Australian Submarine Industry Incubator, complementing the existing Incubator in Sydney and giving local businesses the opportunity to engage in combat system integration work for Australia’s Submarines.
Michael Ward said that the Incubator further demonstrates the company’s commitment to assisting innovative Australian businesses in playing an active role in Australia’s submarine combat systems.
“This is about real submarine work for Australians. The Incubator aims to create new and sustainable submarine combat systems work right here in this country”, Mr Ward said.