An Australian F-35A. (Defence)

Lockheed Martin Australia has congratulated F-35 Lightning II supplier Heat Treatment Australia (HTA) on passing a Lockheed Martin quality audit of its new facility in California.

The commercial and aerospace heat treater established the facility in Santa Fe Springs, its first outside Australia, to make its unique thermal processing services available to the US market, Lockheed Martin stated.

“HTA’s expansion into the US, and its new facility’s subsequent quality accreditation by Lockheed Martin, are a testament to the vision and commitment of the HTA team,” said Vince Di Pietro, chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia.

“Lockheed Martin Australia, via its Global Supply Chain program efforts, is proud to assist an Australian company achieve significant supply chain efficiencies and export intellectual property developed here in Australia.

“HTA’s growth and success as a proven supply chain partner has reinforced the company’s ability to provide world-class innovation to the aerospace sector, further reinforcing the value of the F-35 industrial participation program to Australian industry.”

Meanwhile, HTA has been awarded a contract by BAE Systems for the supply of pressure manifolds for commercial aircraft jet engines in the US, Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne stated.

The company will use its thermal processing facility in Brisbane to assemble the manifolds, and has partnered with RUAG Australia to provide precision machining and high-pressure testing services.

Minister Pyne stated that the Global Supply Chain program was key to enabling both the Lockheed Martin accreditation and the contract with BAE Systems.

“The Global Supply Chain program, run by the Centre for Defence Industry Capability, has delivered for HTA,” said Pyne. “This will increase Australian companies’ competitiveness in the US and other global markets, and gain access to new global supply chain opportunities.”