Northrop Grumman has signed a six-year contract with Quickstep Holdings for the delivery of Australian-made components for the F-35 aerospace program.
Work will be performed in Quickstep’s headquarters in Sydney, New South Wales.
Northrop manufactures the centre fuselage section for all three F-35 variants.
In 2012, ASX-listed company Quickstep joined Northrop Grumman’s global supply chain for the F-35 and has since become the global aerospace company’s largest Australian supplier for the program.
“Northrop Grumman has an unwavering commitment to help grow Australia’s sovereign defence industry,” Christine Zeitz, general manager for Northrop Grumman Asia Pacific.
“Quickstep Holdings is a long-time member of our global supply chain, providing critical capability into one of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) most important programs, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration over the coming years,” Zeitz added.
Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said partnerships between a global defence company and an Australian business play a crucial role in growing Australia’s industrial base, as well as meeting the ongoing and future capability needs of the ADF.
The Australian federal government joined the global F-35 program in 2002. More than 50 directly-contracted Australian businesses have made significant contributions to the design and development phases of the program, Northrop Grumman said in a statement.
“We are delighted to have secured this multi-year buy with Northrop Grumman,” said Josh Scanlon, business leader for aerostructures at Quickstep Holdings.
“These firm orders secure our Northrop Grumman F?35 order book through 2025 and are a great example of the value Australian industry delivers to the world’s largest defence aerospace program,” he added.
Northrop Grumman works with Lockheed Martin to design, develop, manufacture, and maintain F-35 multirole fighters for the United States and its allies.
February 2022 saw the 900th delivery of Northrop Grumman’s fuselage for the program.
Quickstep is the largest private aerospace composite component in Australia and operates in Sydney, Geelong, Melbourne, and Dallas. The company employs over 280 people in Australia and abroad.
