![]() ![]() THE HON. GREG COMBET MP Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science Thursday, 27 August 2009 048/2009 COMBET OPENS TOWNSVILLE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FACILITY Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, today officially opened BAE Systems’ new, state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance centre at Townsville Airport in North Queensland. Mr Combet said the facility is the centre of BAE’s support program for the Australian Army’s Black Hawk and Chinook helicopter fleets. “This facility will provide employment for 140 people and enhanced support for the helicopters of the ADF,” Mr Combet said. “Over the past nine years BAE Systems has played an important role in assisting the preparations and sustainment of both Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters across a broad range of activities. “These activities have included operations in East Timor, the Middle East, Afghanistan, our local region and more recently in Papua New Guinea,” Mr Combet said. Mr Combet also thanked the leadership and skilled tradesmen of BAE Systems on behalf of the Australian Government for the quality support that they provided to ADF helicopters over the past nine years. “I would also like to applaud the efforts of the contractors and ADF staff involved in achieving outstanding levels of rate of effort for the Black Hawk fleet. I’m proud to announce that the Black Hawk Rate of Effort for the last financial year was an 11 per cent increase over the previous financial year and the highest for more than six years.” Please note Defence Media has a new phone number: 02 6127 1999. The existing number will be automatically diverted to the new number for three months. The existing after-hours duty mobile 0408 498 664 will remain. Media contacts: Rod Hilton (Greg Combet): 02 6277 4771 or 0458 276 619 Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664 |