Lockheed Martin Australia has marked 10 years of its Sikorsky Australia sustainment facility in Nowra, NSW, which supports maintenance and operational readiness of the Royal Australian Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk helicopter fleet.
According to the company, the purpose-built facility has grown from an operation with fewer than 12 employees to a workforce of more than 230 people, including 17 apprentices, supported by 99 regional suppliers.
The facility provides aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, logistics, training, warehousing, supply and engineering services, as well as specialised component repairs.
Sikorsky Australia General Manager Cliff Kyle said the operation had developed significantly since its establishment in 2016.
“Ten years ago, we started with less than a dozen employees designing the sustainment facility and building that capability from the ground up. Today, we employ more than 230 highly skilled people,” Kyle said.
Since opening, the facility has completed 70 planned maintenance interval depot-level servicing activities on the Navy’s Seahawk fleet, including the first depot maintenance activity on a US Navy Seahawk conducted in Australia. The company said the fleet has accumulated more than 60,000 flying hours.
Sikorsky Australia has also expanded its local repair capabilities to support more than 100 Seahawk components. Its latest addition is a dedicated main rotor damper overhaul capability in Australia, which the company said removes the need to send those components to the United States for overhaul.
The Nowra facility also maintains the Seahawk’s low-frequency dipping sonar, a primary sensor used for anti-submarine warfare. According to Lockheed Martin Australia, Nowra is one of four locations globally with the capability to perform this maintenance.
Kyle said the facility’s design had allowed the operation to adapt as the fleet and its requirements evolved.
With the Seahawk fleet comprising 36 aircraft, the company said its priorities for the next decade include expanding local sustainment capabilities, strengthening the Australian supply chain and developing the skilled workforce needed to support the Navy’s operational requirements.
“What we’ve achieved in 10 years is exciting. With additional aircraft coming, we’re focused on growing our capability and delivering through-life sustainment at the highest levels for the fleet,” Kyle said.
