As one of the countries with the strongest military in the Pacific region, it is interesting to see the development of Australia's defense equipment system. In the helicopter segment, for example, Kangaroo Country has projected two major procurements for the land and sea units.
The Australian Army will receive 29 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, and the Australian Navy will receive 12 MH-60R (Romeo) Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters.
Interestingly, in every plan to procure armaments, the Australian Department of Defense always inserts information about the opportunities for opening new jobs that can be created from the procurement process for the defense equipment.
Quoted from verticalmag.com (10/5/2022), it is stated that the procurement process for the AH-64E Apache Guardian and MH-60R Seahawk can create around 300 new jobs.
The Australian Government will expand its maritime helicopter fleet with an additional 12 MH-60R Seahawks to be stationed at HMAS Albatross, a naval air base located in Nowra, New South Wales. With the purchase of 12 MH-60R Seahawks, the Australian Navy will operate 36 MH-60Rs.
The procurement value of the 12 MH-60R Seahawks is more than Aus$2.5 billion. The Australian Government has also set aside Aus$360 million to expand facilities at HMAS Albatross to accommodate a new helicopter fleet.
For the procurement of 29 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, the Government has also prepared an investment of more than Aus$5.5 billion for the AH-64E Apache Guardian acquisition and training program to be received by the Australian Army.
The government will also invest Aus$500 million to upgrade facilities to support Apache helicopters to arrive from 2025.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the investment in the procurement of the two helicopters was key to the Government's plans to create a safe and secure Australia in the face of regional and global uncertainty. “World and regional conditions are changing, but we are investing up to Aus$270 billion in the defense industry in Australia's defense and security through 2030,” said Scott Morrison.
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Scott Morrison added, “Australia is now in the midst of the most consequential and challenging strategic arrangement since the Second World War era. But this investment not only supports the Australian Armed Forces, it supports local jobs and skills here.”
More than Aus$8 billion invested in helicopters and their support facilities means there are 300 new jobs on the ground for electricians, mechanics and engineers to support maintenance, along with hundreds more jobs in the small business supply chain supporting the readiness of this helicopter fleet.
In fact, Australian Defense Industry Minister Melissa Price said economic analysis showed the MH-60R Romeo program would create 90 new jobs and support 510 workers, mainly in communities around HMAS Albatross.
“The Apache program will also create a highly skilled mixed maintenance workforce, comprising the majority of Australian industrial contractors in Operations and Deep Maintenance organizations. Apart from Australia, India also acquired the AH-64E Apache Guardian and MH-60R Seahawk simultaneously.
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