COMBET INSPECTS AWD PROGRAM AND OTHER SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE SITES

The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, the Hon Greg Combet MP, today toured a number of Defence sites and facilities in Adelaide.

Mr Combet visited the AWD Systems Centre for high-level briefings on progress on the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer program.

He also viewed the Common User Facility and Maritime Skills Centre at Osborne and held discussions there with senior defence industry executives.

“The AWD Project is a nation-building venture and Australia’s opportunity to demonstrate our technological and shipbuilding capabilities to the world,” Mr Combet said.

Mr Combet said defence suppliers had been successful in using the Defence Materiel Organisation’s (DMO) Skilling Australian Defence Industry program (SADI) to improve skilling programs in South Australia.

“The Master of Engineering in Military Systems Integration delivered by UniSA in conjunction with BAE Systems, SAAB Systems and ASC; the Master of Marine Engineering at the University of Adelaide and a number of other cross-training programs are working well.

“DMO has also been working with BAE Systems and the Defence Teaming Centre to coordinate an approach to the Mitsubishi workforce to showcase the wide range of work and career opportunities available in the Defence sector primarily in Adelaide, but also nationally,” he said.

Mr Combet complimented Mr Mike Rann, Mr Kevin Foley and the South Australian Government on the support given to Defence industry and their efforts to address the capacity constraints in both infrastructure and skills.

Imagery will be available shortly at www.defence.gov.au/media/download.

Media contacts:

Rod Hilton (Greg Combet):             02 6277 4771 or 0458 276 619

Defence Media Liaison:                  02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664