The Aerospace Support division, based in Brisbane, Australia, is fast becoming the leading regional provider of world-class, quick response military aerospace support solutions.

“Our key strategy is to leverage our Life Cycle Customer Support position with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for its F-111 fleet, on to the F/A-18s, C-130s and army helicopters and to use this position to be the ADF’s supplier of choice for future tanker, airlift and combat aircraft requirements,” said Colin Giles, general manager for aerospace support in Australia.

Boeing Australia’s Aerospace Support division concentrates on aircraft maintenance, modification and upgrades, through-life support and integrated logistics. With the help of Boeing Commercial Airplane Services in Seattle, the Australian division is currently working to leverage its military aerospace support capabilities to move into commercial markets, supporting airline operators in the region.

“This will add further value to our presence in the region as we capture commercial engineering, technical and structures business in this part of the world,” Giles said.

Boeing In Australia

Aerospace Support is one of two Boeing Australia, Ltd., business units. It provides total life cycle support of aerospace systems, from acquisition to withdrawal from service. The second business unit, Network Enabled Systems, provides large-scale network-enabled solutions, including command, control, communications, computer and intelligence systems, for military and commercial customers.

The Boeing Aerospace Support Centre (BASC) – Amberley, 40 miles west of Brisbane at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base, employs more than 600 people, providing deeper level airframe maintenance, modifications, upgrades and through life support for the RAAF’s fleet of F-111 strike aircraft. Additional operations include the F-111 Weapons Systems Support Facility and the structural repair and deeper maintenance for the RAAF fleet of B707 Tanker/Airlift aircraft.

Boeing operations at the RAAF Base Williamtown, approximately 160 miles north of Sydney, employs about 65 people, providing project management, trade, engineering and administrative duties in support of the F/A-18 Hornet Upgrade Program.

The future of Boeing Australia’s Aerospace Support division at Williamtown looks strong, with plans to establish a new Boeing Aerospace Support Center to provide through-life support and training for the new Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft, and F/A-18 through life support architecture as the leader of the Hornet Industry Coalition (in partnership with BAE Systems and Bombardier).

At the ADF Helicopter School, which operates out of Oakey Air Base in Queensland, about 48 employees provide maintenance support to the school's fleet of Bell 206B-1 Kiowa aircraft.

At Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, a small team of Aerospace Support personnel provides in-service support of the Kalkara system, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) used by the Royal Australian Navy and the RAAF for crew training and weapons system performance evaluations. The Boeing team maintains and repairs the UAV and ground control station, prepares the UAV for launch, controls the UAV once airborne, and recovers the UAV at the completion of the mission.

As part of the Commonwealth of Australia's Commercial Support Program, Aerospace Support is contracted to provide low-cost engineering support services to the scientists and researchers of the Defence Science and Technology Organization's Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory divisions, located in Melbourne. Approximately 45 Boeing Aerospace Support employees work on four support areas: mechanical design and engineering, electronics design and manufacture, applied imaging and photography, and manufacturing and model making.

The Product Support Group, part of the Aerospace Support business, is committed to the implementation of innovative Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) solutions. Using best commercial practices, it is Boeing Australia's Center of Excellence for ILS. The Brisbane-based group, specializes in logistic engineering/logistic support analysis, training, technical publications, supply support, spares modelling, and supply chain management.

The Product Support Group also manages the Commonwealth of Australia contract to provide technical and spares sales support for Nomad aircraft worldwide. The Nomad, designed by the Australian Government Aircraft Factory, is a small, high-wing, short-field takeoff and landing aircraft, designed for use as a multi-role transport aircraft, with civil and military applications.