Defence engages Airflite for life support contract

Managing Director at Airflite Homer Constantinides and Officer Commanding Surveillance and Response Systems Program Office (SRSPO) Group Captain Alison MacCarthy sign the Aeronautical Life Support Equipment (ALSE) Support contract surrounded by members of SRSPO. Photo: CPL Brenton Kwaterski.

Perth aircraft maintenance and aviation services company Airflite will deliver aeronautical life support equipment for aircraft and helicopters under a contract with the Australian Defence Force.

Airflite was awarded a $16 million contract covering the whole aeronautical life support equipment (ALSE) life cycle after a competitive tender process, and will now cover design, development, production, operation, maintenance, and disposal.

The company is expected to establish a new facility and hire new personnel in Moorabbin, Victoria while leveraging additional support from their current facility in Perth, Western Australia for the contract.

Head of Aerospace Systems Air Vice-Marshal Graham Edwards said the contract would provide technical services to ensure the readiness of critical ALSE to support all ADF aviators.

“This will allow Defence to establish an ALSE enterprise that delivers best practice and high-performance capability to a growing number of complex aviation platforms for the ADF,” AVM Edwards said.

“This approach will give the Australian defence industry the opportunity to grow and respond to Defence’s capability needs as required.”

Approximately 80 per cent of ADF ALSE is shared across multiple aircraft platforms. ALSE includes helmets and oxygen masks, inflatable life rafts and vests, load carriage and restraint harnesses, flares, radios and signalling devices for post evacuation survival and night vision devices.