Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that Australian aerospace company TAE has manufactured and delivered their first parts for Australia’s first two F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters.

Mr Clare said Brisbane-based TAE will supply advanced liquid cooled electronics chassis assemblies for the F-35A.

“This work is potentially worth in excess of $15 million over the life of the Joint Strike Fighter Program,” Mr Clare said.

“TAE has shown it is a globally competitive manufacturer which has won work on the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world.

“The parts made here will be installed on every Joint Strike Fighter. That means there will be a little bit of Queensland in every plane.”

Australia’s first two F-35As are being manufactured by Lockheed Martin at its Fort Worth facility in Texas.

The planes are due to be delivered to a United States-based training facility in 2014/15. Royal Australian Air Force pilots will then travel to the United States for initial training.

Australian companies have won $300 million in Joint Strike Fighter work to date. Almost 10 per cent of that work will be done by Queensland-based companies.

Over the life of the Joint Strike Fighter Program there is more than $1.5 billion worth of potential work for Australian industry.

Annie Williams 0428 040 522