The Defence Strategic Review has been the talk of the industry over the past year. We have all pondered what projects will gain traction and what projects will slow down. For almost a decade, many major Defence projects have been running concurrently and across the country. We have updated our Defence Project map of the acquisition and sustainment projects that will drive the majority of the hiring activity in the defence industry.
Our Defence Director, Rob Kremer, has commented on the hiring trends that we are expecting to see across the states.
Queensland
In Queensland, we are seeing steady recruitment activity associated with in-service support of aerospace platforms, and strong interest from workers in the Loyal Wingman UAS. Loyal Wingman, also commonly known as the Ghost Bat, is an uncrewed aircraft with the integration of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.
Within the next 12 months, the REDSPICE (Resilience, Effects, Defence, Space, Intelligence, Cyber and Enablers) initiative will create a demand in Southeast Queensland for ICT skillsets. The aim of REDSPICE is to address future challenges and potential threats. Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is currently expanding to Brisbane and Melbourne, recruiting personnel for the REDSPICE project.
New South Wales
In New South Wales, we are seeing strong demand for maritime and aerospace sustainment workers in Sydney and the Hunter regions respectively. There is strong worker interest in the XL-AUV platform. XL-AUV, also known as the Ghost Shark, is an autonomous undersea vehicle designed to give the Navy the option to deliver underwater effects in high-risk environments.
Victoria
Victoria is dominated by land acquisition and sustainment projects, especially for LAND 400, which will replace the Army’s current M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers with up to 129 new combat vehicle systems (Infantry Fighting Vehicles).
There is also a steady demand for engineers and logisticians with naval experience for sustainment work in Melbourne. As ASD expands to Melbourne for the REDSPICE program there will be a strong demand for ICT skillsets.
South Australia
In South Australia, the largest program that will drive the hiring in SA is SEA 5000, across white and blue-collar skillsets. SEA 5000 also known as the Hunter Class Frigate program is scoped to replace the Anzac class frigates with nine frigates optimised for anti-submarine warfare. The Collins Class LOTE (life of type extension) activities are also expected to drive hiring activity in SA.
JORN sustainment and development will also see steady levels of hiring activity, with high demand for engineering skillsets with defence industry experience. JORN has been developed to provide sea and air surveillance across the north of Australia. The network is the country’s first early warning system, providing the ADF with 24-hour surveillance of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Western Australia
In Western Australia, the upgrade and sustainment projects for ANZAC Class (ANZAC ISS/PSR) and Collins Class (CCSM ISS/LOTE) are seeing steady demand within engineering, logistics and project management skill sets with marine experience.
ACT
In the ACT, acquisition projects will continue to drive demand for workers with Above the Line skill sets. However, the Government is focused on growing the permanent Australian Public Service workforce between now and 2024 and using above-the-line contractors only to fill in the gaps. Due to this, a cooling of industry hiring activity is anticipated in the short term.
Want to know more?
For additional insight and to explore what the data means for your defence industry organisation and how to attract the workers you need, get in contact with our consultants today.
Project Glossary
ACPB ISS | Armidale Class Patrol Boats In-Service Support |
AIR 555 | Airborne Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Electronic Warfare Capability Facilities Works |
AIR 2097 | New fleet of light helicopters |
AIR 3024 | Replacing the aerospace test and evaluation, research and experimentation equipment at the Woomera Test Range. |
AIR 3029 | Relocation of an SST from New Mexico to WA to monitor orbiting space satellites, debris and asteroids. |
AIR 5349 | Acquisition of the Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft. |
AIR 5431 | Fixed Defence Air Traffic Control Surveillance Sensors |
AIR 6500 | Joint air battle management systems capability. Works closely with LAND 19. |
AIR 6500 | Integrated Air and Missile Defence |
AIR 7000 | Triton Remotely Piloted Unmanned Aircraft System |
AIR 7003 | Procurement of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) |
AIR 9000 | Replacement of S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters. |
ANZAC ISS/PSR | ANZAC Class In-Service Support / Platform Systems Remediation. |
AOR ISS | Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment In-Service Support |
ARH ISS | Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter In-Service Support |
AUKUS | Australia, United Kingdom, and United States partnership |
C-17 ISS | Globemaster III In-Service Support |
C-27 ISS | Spartan In-Service Support |
C-130 ISS | Hercules In-Service Support |
CCPB ISS | Cape Class Patrol Boats In-Service Support |
CCSM ISS/LOTE | Collins Class Submarine In-Service Support and Life Of Type Extension |
DDG ISS | Air Warfare Destroyer In-Service Support |
E-7A ISS | Wedgetail aircraft with long-range surveillance and communications capabilities In-Service Support |
EA-18 ISS | Growler Electronic Attack Aircraft In-Service Support |
F/A-18 ISS | Fighter Attack Aircraft In-Service Support |
F-35 ISS | F-35A Joint Strike Fighter In-Service Support |
FMSC | Fleet Marine Services Contract |
HATS | Helicopter Aircrew Training System |
ICT 2270 | Vetting Transformation project to improve vetting services |
ICT 2273 | Maritime Fleet Information Environment (FIE) modernisation program |
ICT 2283 | Defence enterprise resource planning project to rationalise Defence ICT applications environment |
JORN | Jindalee Operational Radar Network |
JP 2008 | Next Generation of Satellite Communication Systems |
JP 2047 | ICT Transformation Project |
JP 2060 | Deployable health |
JP 2072 | Delivery of combat radios and ancillary equipment to replace the Wagtail, Pintail and Raven Fleets |
JP 2080 | Human resource payroll system |
JP 2089 | Upgrade of the current information communication and network technologies within key defence systems to standardise and speed up data sharing and facilitate centralised control |
JP 2096 | Multi-phase project to create an integrated and unified dataset for ISR and decision support |
JP 8190 | Modernise Fuel Support Systems |
JP 9101 | Enhanced Defence High-Frequency Communications System |
JP 9102 | New military satellite capability |
JP 9131 | Defensive Cyberspace Operations; to strengthen the cyber defences of deployed ADF networks and combat platforms |
JP 9201 ASDSS | Acquisition of next-generation satellite technology (Australian Defence SATCOM System) |
JP 9711 | Defence Core Simulation Capability Project |
KC-30A ISS | Multi-Role Tanker Transport that enables air-to-air refuelling and strategic air lift in-service support |
LAND 19 | Short Range Ground Based Air Defence (SRGBAD) capability |
LAND 53 | Night Fighting Equipment replacement by L3 Harris Oceania. |
LAND 121 | High-capability field vehicles, modules and trailers (protected and non-protected) |
LAND 125 | Modernise ADF’s Combat Capability |
LAND 129 | Procurement of Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems |
LAND 154 | Counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) program |
LAND 155 | Delivery of Enhanced Gap-Crossing Equipment, including the delivery of bridge bays and logistics packages |
LAND 159 | Modernisation of small arms and direct dire support weapons |
LAND 200 | Collation of the two distinct battle management system requirements of LAND 75 and LAND 125 |
LAND 400 | Acquisition of Armed Reconnaissance Vehicles (ARV) and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) for the Australian Army |
LAND 2072 | Enhance the ADF’s land-based communications capability. |
LAND 2110 | Improvement of the ADF's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Defence (CBRND) capability |
LAND 3025 | Counter-Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (C-CBRNE) support |
LAND 4111 | Protected Mobility Mobilisation. Standardising and modernising the protected mobility capability |
LAND 4502 ISS | Shelters and supporting infrastructure for additional CH-47F Chinook helicopters In-Service Support |
LAND 4503 | Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Replacement |
LAND 4507 | Multi Role Helicopter Rapid Replacement |
LAND 8113 | Long Range Fires |
LAND 8116 | Revived program to supply a locally built, self-propelled howitzer artillery system |
LAND 8120 | Earth moving and material handling equipment |
Land 8160 | Combat Engineering Vehicles |
LAND 8710 | Army Littoral Manoeuvre |
LHD ISS | Landing Helicopter Dock In-Service Support |
Loyal Wingman | Australia’s first domestically designed and built combat drone |
LSD ISS | Land Systems Division In-Service Support |
M1 A1 ISS | The Abrams tank In-Service Support |
M113 ISS | Armoured Personnel Carrier In-Service Support |
MHC ISS | Mine-Hunter Coastal Class In-Service Support |
MMC | Munitions Manufacturer Contract |
MMEW | Modernisation of Maritime Electronic Warfare |
MRH/ARH ISS | Multi Role Helicopter / Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter In-Service Support |
Nulka | Anti-ship missile countermeasure |
P-8 ISS | Maritime patrol aircraft which is replacing the P-3 In-Service Support |
PPBR | Replacement and In-Service Support Contracts of a fleet of Pacific Patrol Boats (PPB) |
REDSPICE | Resilience, Effects, Defence, Space, Intelligence, Cyber and Enablers |
RMP | Regional Maintenance Plan. In-Service Support naval platforms |
SEA 1180/CAN | Construction of 12 Offshore Patrol Vessels in Adelaide and Perth |
SEA 1350 | Maritime Underwater Tracking Range (MUTR) |
SEA 1442 | Upgrade of ANZAC Class Frigate communication systems |
SEA 1448 | ANZAC Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade |
SEA 1654 | Procurement of two Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Ships (AOR) |
SEA 1905 | Program for future maritime mine countermeasures and military survey capability into NSW and ACT |
SEA 2273 | Fleet Information Environment (FIE) modernisation project |
SEA 5000 | Next generation of naval surface combatants, replacing the ANZAC and FFG class vessels. Also referred to as the Hunter Program |
USMC Support | Development of facilities to support 1,100 US Marines on rotation in northern Australia |
XL-AUV | Extra-Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles |
Photo Credit: Department of Defence
