Lockheed Martin Australia has announced the signing of a teaming agreement with QinetiQ Australia for the Australian Defence Force’s Project AIR 6500 Phase 1 Integrated Air and Missile Defence requirement.
QinetiQ Australia joins Leidos Australia, Consilium Technology, Consunet, Shoal, Silentium Defence, and Ultra on the Lockheed Martin Australia-led team.
The latest teaming will see QinetiQ provide Test and Evaluation, Verification and Validation, and certification and assurance services in support of the AIR6500 Phase 1 Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) Stage 2. A Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) release says the companies will work in partnership to design a test and evaluation and governance framework that supports risk reduction in the transition into the AIR6500-1 acquisition.
“Lockheed Martin Australia is delighted to team with QinetiQ Australia,” LMA’s AIR6500 Program Executive, Steve Froelich said in a 10 March release. “The teaming agreement marks an important focus on designing a highly robust, independently validated, agile AIR6500-1 program solution that supports the Royal Australian Air Force’s vision to transform the Air Force into a next-gen-enabled force.”
“Lockheed Martin Australia’s proven expertise in building, integrating and sustaining advanced technology systems across complex joint all-domain platforms combined with QinetiQ Australia’s unrivalled expertise in integrated air and missile defence test, evaluation, certification and systems assurance, means we are the trusted partner of choice to deliver an unmatched integrated air battle management capability edge to Australia,” he added.
“Lockheed Martin Australia’s partnership with QinetiQ Australia demonstrates our commitment to working with the very best of Australian industry. Their team’s early assimilation into our agile software development process builds trust and discipline. We continue to develop a sovereign AIR6500-1 solution in Australia by Australians that will create local job opportunities for Defence Industry,”
QinetiQ Australia’s Managing Director, Greg Barsby, said the teaming agreement with LMA on the next phase of the AIR6500-1 is an exciting opportunity.
“Our highly experienced local team of T&E professionals have been able to leverage QinetiQ’s global expertise in complex Test and Evaluation, to deliver world-leading solutions while growing sovereign T&E capabilities in Australia,” Barsby said. “We look forward to collaborating on an innovative Test and Evaluation solution that leverages the digital age we are now immersed in.
“Lockheed Martin Australia has a distinguished history of delivering to the Australian Defence customer and collaborating with Defence Industry,” Barsby added. “I am delighted QinetiQ is teamed with Lockheed Martin as the sovereign Test and Evaluation service provider and look forward to delivering a state-of-the-art solution to the AIR6500 program.”
Two teams – that led by LMA, and the other led by Northrop Grumman Australia – were shortlisted for the AIR 6500 Phase 1 CEP in August 2021.