Australian Aviation — December 2017

DECEMBER 2017 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION 15

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Awesome Aviation

Northrop Grumman awarded RAAF

C-27J sustainment contract

N

orthrop Grumman Australia

has been awarded a

performance-based contract

to maintain the RAAF’s

fleet of Leonardo/L-3 C-27J

Spartan battlefield airlifters.

The contract is for an initial

five-year period, and will renew

annually for up to 22 years under a

“rolling wave” arrangement, should

Northrop Grumman continue to

meet performance targets.

Ten C-27Js are on order for

the RAAF, with the type being

introduced into service with 35

Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond,

west of Sydney.

The award announcement

comes some six months after the

contract was awarded, and builds

on Northrop Grumman’s growing

transport aircraft maintenance

work in Australia which also

includes sustainment of the RAAF’s

KC-30A MRTT at RAAF Amberley

and Brisbane Airport, and the

Canberra-based Boeing 737BBJ

and Bombardier 604 SPA fleet.

“This program represents the

strategic foundation for Northrop

Grumman upon which we can build

sovereign Australian capabilities

to sustain and modernise the

5th Generation Air Force of the

future,” Ian Irving, chief executive,

Northrop Grumman Australia said

in a statement.

“It allows us to deliver on our

commitment to establish and grow

a uniquely Australian defence

capability while leveraging our

world-class defence technologies

and global infrastructure.”

Northrop Grumman has teamed

with Leonardo, the C-27J’s original

manufacturer, in order to “reduce

primary risks to data access, design

engineering support and supply

chain management.”

Work on the C-27J will initially

take place at RAAF Base Richmond,

before moving to Amberley in the

medium-term when 35 Squadron

relocates there.

Australia

signs up

to Next

Generation

Jammer

development

The RAAF and the US Navy

have signed a memorandum

of understanding (MOU) to

jointly develop the ALQ-

Next Generation Jammer Mid-

band (NGJ-MB) capability.

Next Generation Jammer

is an external jamming pod

that will replace the ALQ-

Tactical Jamming System

on EA-18G Growler airborne

electronic attack aircraft.

The jammer technology

will be cooperatively matured

by the RAAF and the Airborne

Electronic Attack Systems

and EA-6B Program Office

(PMA-234). The MOU

provides the framework

for communication,

coordination and cooperation

during engineering and

manufacturing development.

“This is a very important

milestone for both nations,

one that took four years

of communication and

collaboration to successfully

achieve,” Chief of Air Force

AIRMSHL Leo Davies said on

November 2.

“As this is a rapidly

evolving area, we will work in

partnership with the US Navy

to develop the next-generation

jamming capability, which will

ensure that our aircraft remain

at the technological forefront

throughout their service life.”

AVM Cath Roberts, Head

Aerospace Systems Division

within the Capability

Acquisition and Sustainment

Group (CASG), attended the

signing, which was held on

October 18 in Hawaii.

Minister for Defence

Senator Marise Payne

announced in March that

Australia would be partnering

with the US to develop a next

generation radar and radio

jammer for the Growler at a

cost of $250 million.