“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
Chemring Australia secures F-35 counter-measure flares contract
Australia’s MoD confirmed on 27 May that Chemring Australia had recently secured a $US107.5 million contract for the production and delivery of countermeasure flares for Australian, US and international F-35 operators.
Joe Farrah, managing director of Chemring Australia, said: ‘It is great to see the Australian defence industry sector thriving and while there is always going to be a need for people with defence industry experience we also need people who can bring alternative and fresh perspectives from other sectors to drive innovation at Chemring Australia.’
Following previous F-35 Joint Programme contracts, the company shifted its working patterns from a single-shift to a three-shift 24h five-day operation in 2019 which saw a threefold increase in the group’s workforce.
Currently, more than 50 small and medium enterprises are involved with the international F-35 programme with contracts worth approximately $A1.7 billion ($US1.12 billion).
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