Local maintenance priority for new KC-30A tanker charter

Northrop, Airbus and the RAAF will collaborate to reduce turnaround time and aircraft availability. The agreement was made during the Avalon International Airshow in Victoria this week.

The charter seeks to build supply chain resilience and local industry capability by establishing maintenance and repair infrastructure workshops in Australia. Initial priority areas will be the establishment of an Airbus Boom Maintenance Repair and Optimisation Centre in Australia and the local implementation of future KC-30A upgrades.

Northrop Grumman Asia Pacific general manager Christine Zeitz said the parties would promote full transparency in exchanging information amongst the parties to proactively identify and establish opportunities for greater sovereign maintenance support for the fleet.

“Northrop Grumman is committed to help grow Australia’s defence capability,” she said.

“The signing of the KC-30A Sovereign Industrial Capability Charter underscores the collective responsibility that we share to keep them mission ready.”