Sikorsky Australia has secured a new AUD313.5 million contract to continue its partnership with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to deliver sustainment services for the RAN’s fleet of MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters.
Over 75 new jobs will be created at Sikorsky Australia’s Nowra maintenance and logistics support facility as part of the new contract, building on its current 200 strong workforce. Sikorsky Australia will grow its workforce across aircraft maintenance engineers, logisticians, and skilled aviation technical roles to support the RAN’s growing fleet of 23 MH-60R Seahawks, which will increase to 36 aircraft by the end of 2026.
Sikorsky Australia, a Lockheed Martin Company, says it is committed to maintaining its apprenticeship and traineeship programs. They currently constitute around 20% of the maintenance workforce and are a key pillar of ensuring the technical workforce is well positioned to meet future capability needs.
Sikorsky Australia also says it will expand its regional supply chain of 60 small-to-medium-enterprises by more than 50% to support commensurate growth across sustainment operations in line with the MH-60R Seahawks increased fleet size.
Integrated with the RAN’s Fleet Air Arm, Sikorsky Australia will continue providing through-life sustainment support to the MH-60R Seahawk fleet when on base and on deployment, including maintenance, training, warehousing, supply and engineering support services.
“For over 30 years, Sikorsky Australia has proudly sustained the Royal Australian Navy’s Seahawks and the Australian Army’s Black Hawk helicopters while steadily building its sovereign industrial base,” said Lockheed Martin CEO Warren McDonald. “The recent contract reinforces the enduring partnership between Sikorsky Australia and the Royal Australian Navy to successfully sustain the Seahawks, a world-class maritime platform that brings unparalleled anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities to Australia, the US Navy and navies across the globe.”
“The follow-on contract embodies that strong partnership Sikorsky Australia has built with the Royal Australian Navy in providing sustainment services with excellence to ensure the Seahawk fleet’s availability is optimised for maritime operations,” said Sikorsky Australia’s General Manager Cliff Kyle.”This contract is recognition of the important work that has been delivered to-date that underpins the success of Seahawks in the operational theatre.”
The contract award further acknowledges Sikorsky Australia’s efforts to develop a regional sustainment hub following the delivery of the first-ever deep maintenance activity on a US Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter in 2023 in partnership with Australian and US Navies.
