Australian firm TAE Aerospace has started building a facility in Queensland positioned to support the engines that power the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter aircraft.
Announcing the development, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said that the facility will start operations in July 2019. It confirmed that the department will be a “major but not exclusive customer” of the new facility.
Within the new complex will be a warehouse dedicated to support the F-35’s Pratt & Whitney F135 engine as well as other facilities to undertake component repairs, aluminium vacuum brazing, and to support other engines including the General Electric F414 that powers the RAAF’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Honeywell AGT1500 engines that power the Australian Army’s Abrams main battle tanks.
(Jane's)