South Australian systems engineer Georgia never considered working in the defence industry, but after starting her career journey with one of the state’s largest defence companies she has never looked back. After completing an electrical and electronic engineering degree at the University of Adelaide, the 25-year-old undertook a graduate program with South Australian-based engineering and technology company Nova Systems. Now, she’s taken the next step in her defence industry career, joining BAE Systems Australia’s Edinburgh headquarters as a systems engineer. She will apply her expertise and experience to key Defence projects, including the Jindalee Operational Radar Network, which protects Australia’s ...

Saab Australia will receive more than $22 million from the Federal Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative to build a Sovereign Combat System Collaboration Centre at Mawson Lakes. Set to be the home of Australia’s sovereign combat system capabilities in South Australia, the $77 million project will provide a state-of-the-art facility for the sector, as well as assist small and medium businesses to gain access to both national and global supply chains. It will also offer a combat systems school, providing specialised courses to address industry skills shortages in areas such as naval operations and software engineering. Read more

Rebecca Brickhill is Engineering Manager – Underwater at Saab Australia and has been in the defence industry for more than 15 years. Following completion of an undergraduate degree and Masters in Engineering, she worked in the commercial industry for a few years before applying for a role at Saab. In her current role, Rebecca manages a team of engineers, as well as the outcomes and approval for Saab Australia’s Submarine and Underwater vehicle programs. Ahead of International Women’s Day 2022, Defence SA spoke to Rebecca about her experiences building a career within a traditionally male-dominated industry. What attracted you to ...

A dedicated South Australian taskforce for the Nuclear-powered Submarine Program established in early February 2022 has been publicly announced. The South Australia Government Submarine Taskforce will support the Nuclear-powered Submarine Taskforce established in the Department of Defence to deliver an optimal pathway for the submarine program keeping local industry capability at the forefront. The taskforce, chaired by Defence SA, will work closely with state government agencies, local industry and local government representatives to discuss key focus areas including safety, environmental protection, facilities and infrastructure, industrial base capacity and workforce. A process will also be undertaken to engage members across the ...

South Australia will be home to a purpose-built 737 deep maintenance and modification facility. Announced at the weekend, the $160 million facility is being built as a partnership between the South Australian Government and the Department of Defence. Development of this facility will provide the critical infrastructure necessary for the maintenance and upgrade of the RAAF’s P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, and the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. The P-8A and the E-7A are both military derivatives of the Boeing 737 aircraft. Providing a long-term deep maintenance and modification facility adjacent RAAF Base Edinburgh for both types ...

South Australian university students have the opportunity to kick-start their careers in the defence industry, with BAE Systems Australia launching their graduate recruitment drive for 2023.    Recently welcoming 58 graduates to its national defence and security business, BAE Systems Australia now has 90 positions available across a wide range of fields, including engineering, project management, finance, human resources and commercial. The graduate program offers tailored training and mentoring, flexible work practices and the opportunity to collaborate and network with other graduates across the country. Students can choose to be placed into an ongoing role or to experience three one-year structured ...

Adelaide-based welding manufacturer K-TIG has announced a research and development facility will be built within BAE Systems' Factory of the Future. The R&D facility is set to help the manufacturer demonstrate and further evolve the application of its robotic welding capabilities within multiple industries. Adrian Smith, Managing Director of K-TIG, said this would also support Australia’s domestic naval shipbuilding capacity and enhance development of local industry. “Put simply, K-TIG’s advanced welding technology means welding is stronger, faster and more cost effective,” Smith said. “A traditional multi-hour weld can be done in less than four minutes to a higher quality and ...

A new agreement has been signed between South Australia and the United Kingdom this month, unlocking billions of dollars in economic activity. The three-year memorandum of understanding was signed during a recent visit from UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. It is set to deepen the state’s relationship with the UK in the defence, cyber and space industries, whilst also making it easier for local businesses to break into the UK market and help implement the AUKUS agreement. The deal was struck following a visit to the state-of-the-art Osborne Naval Shipyard – set to be home to the construction of Australia’s ...

COVID UPDATE - Permissions for close contact critical workers to return to worksite during quarantine period for COVID-19 Changes have been made to the Exposure Sites, Contacts and Diagnosis Requirements Direction in South Australia effective from 12.01 am on 13 January 2022. Today’s changes provide permissions during times of significant COVID case numbers in South Australia, for close contact critical workers to return to a worksite during a quarantine period for COVID-19. Close contact critical workers are certain workers who will be required to attend work despite being a close contact of a COVID case. The explicit reason for this ...