Finmeccanica enters Australian Global Supply Chain programme

Finmeccanica has entered into the Australian Government Global Supply Chain programme following the signing of a deed by the Australian Minister for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare, at the Land Warfare Conference in Melbourne Australia. The deed is an important step in the strategy to grow an enduring Finmeccanica presence in Australia.

The Australian Global Supply Chain programme is designed to enable large multinational primes help Australian companies access more opportunities through their supply chain. The Finmeccanica Global Supply Chain deed sets the legal, reporting and overarching obligations on Finmeccanica under this Australian government funded programme, which with the support of the operating companies, will enable development of the specific milestones and actions to identify potential opportunities for Australian companies to compete internationally.

Ing Riccardo Napolitano, GM Finmeccanica Group Services, said: ‘The Global Supply Chain deed with Australia is well suited to the broad range of exceptional technological capabilities of Finmeccanica and I know the company sees this as mutually very beneficial. Engaging with Australian small and medium businesses that have a range of quality products and services is important to success of the projects in the demanding Australian environment.’

Finmeccanica companies have worked closely with the Australian Armed Forces, provided equipment including counter-IED equipment for Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, Soldier Personal Radios, night vision systems on route clearance vehicles, radios and communication systems on ships, air traffic radars, MU90 torpedoes, ATR aircraft, and satellite imagery during the tragic Queensland and Victorian floods.

The company has also supplied helicopters to Royal Australian Navy and the civil sector; and in May, the Australian government announced the purchase of ten Alenia Aermacchi C-27J aircraft through the US FMS system.