Melissa Price: The past, present and future of the RAAF

As Minister for Defence Industry, such an occasion provides an opportunity to acknowledge Australia’s defence industry: the many workers and owners of large companies and small businesses that have delivered our capabilities and supported our airmen and airwomen for a century.

The story of our nation’s Air Force cannot be comprehensively told without homage to the endeavours of industry.

Australia’s first tentative steps into the aerospace industry achieved varying degrees of success.

In 1910, well before the outbreak of the First World War, then minister for defence, West Australian senator George Pearce, announced a £5,000 competition for the design and construction of a wholly Australian aircraft suitable for military use.
At the time, it was a prescient initiative – too prescient perhaps for a technology that had been around for a decade. The reward was never paid as the scheme did not attract any viable designs.

But in 1922, a year after the birth of our Air Force, those early steps into the aviation industry soon became confident strides forward when the Sydney-based Australian Aircraft & Engineering Company was contracted to build six Avro 504k trainers.
Although the company liquidated due to lack of further orders, Australia had proved its aircraft manufacturing credentials – a remarkable achievement for a country barely into its 20s.

Shortly after, Air Force would establish and run the Experimental Aircraft section, charged with developing original Australian aircraft designs.

The commanding officer of that section, Squadron Leader Lawrence Wackett, known for his engineering ingenuity, would go on to lead a consortium of Australian industrial powerhouses under the banner of the Commonwealth Aircraft Company (CAC).

The CAC was formed in 1936 and not a moment too soon. Australia would soon receive a call to arms for a second and more deadly world war – one in which battles in the sky would not only be pivotal but change the character of warfare forever.

In the dark days of the Second World War, as Australia witnessed enemy forces’ inexorable advance south in the Pacific, the CAC dauntlessly churned-out aircraft.

It produced the Wirraway – not competitive as a fighter but an aircraft that played a crucial role in training Australian pilots. Testimony to our budding industry, more than 750 Wirraways were produced on Australian soil.

Soon, CAC’s Boomerang was coming off the assembly line – an Australian designed and built single-seat propeller-engine fighter with a range of 1,500 kilometres and maximum speed of 500km/h.

Australian industry would go on to design, build or assemble many more aircraft for both our Air Force and air forces around the world. Aircraft such as the Woomera, Mustang, Winjeel, Hawke, and one of our most steadfast sentinels, the FA-18A/B Hornet.

Today, Australian industry’s involvement in the air domain surges forward like never before.

The 2020 Force Structure Plan outlines the government’s commitment to a program of future investment and opportunity for defence industry, further cementing the role of Australian industry as a fundamental input to capability.

The plan reinforces the government’s commitment to build a resilient and internationally competitive sovereign defence industry.

This is in addition to the vital role of industry in contributing to the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities, many of which are integral to Air Force platforms, systems and broader capabilities.

Investments in cyber, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, radar, communications and space-based capabilities and sensors offer the opportunity for Air Force to work with industry to strengthen Australia’s industrial base in these advanced technologies.

Australia’s defence industry is growing, with over 4,000 businesses employing approximately 30,000 staff, many of which support Air Force.

An additional 11,000 Australian companies directly benefit from Defence investment and, when further downstream suppliers are included, the benefits flow to approximately 70,000 workers.

Involvement in global programs, such as the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, are providing new opportunities for Australian workers. To date, more than 50 Australian companies have directly shared in over $2.7 billion in F-35 production and support contracts.

In fact, there are Australian-produced parts on every F-35 in operation around the world. This is an important part of the Morrison government’s commitment to building a robust Australian defence industry capability, and efforts continue as the program transitions into the sustainment phase.

Case in point, the selection of BAE Systems Australia as the F-35A Air Vehicle depot for the south-east Asia region not only means that BAE will induct Australian F-35A aircraft right here in country; it also opens the door to hosting other nations’ F-35 aircraft in the future.

The 2020 Force Structure Plan also includes a number of significant investments in Air Force infrastructure and the supply of critical commodities such as deployable fuel, spare parts and stocks of advanced guided weapons and explosive ordnance.

Currently, Australia has a munitions manufacturing capability at Benalla, which ensures the supply of ammunition in times of need. Defence is exploring options to assure the supply of larger, critical munitions including propellants and missiles.

Looking to the future, new opportunities include the acquisition of teaming air vehicles, and the strengthening of air mobility.

Loyal Wingman is a long-term, complex development program run in partnership between Boeing and Air Force – based in Australia with global customers in mind.

More than 35 Australian companies are contributing to the Loyal Wingman program with approximately 70 per cent Australian industry content and over 100 high-tech jobs.

This is the first military aircraft to be designed and built in Australia in 50 years.
Loyal Wingman represents the best of Air Force and industry partnerships, harnessing innovation of Australians to keep our nation and our people secure and prosperous.

After 100 years, the sky is no longer the limit for Air Force. Under the Force Structure Plan, the government is also investing $7 billion in space capabilities over the decade and Air Force has the lead in space domain.

As we celebrate the Royal Australian Air Force’s centenary, I have great pride and confidence in Australia’s defence industry, which should encourage Australians to continue to look forward with confidence on the next hundred years and on what we can achieve together.