First contract awarded to Adelaide firm in Federal Governments $300bn defence plan

A battery-manufacturing company from Adelaide's western suburbs has been awarded the first contract to work on research and development for 12 planned new submarines.
Pacific Marine Batteries has hired 20 engineers and technicians to design a battery that may be used to power the new submarines.

The South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, says the research and development contract for a battery is an important one.

"At the moment each Collins class submarine carries about 450 tonnes of batteries, but the next generation of submarines is going to need about 650 tonnes of batteries and they're going to have to have a longer life, because the new submarines are going to have a longer range and are going to spend longer under water," he said.



The state's hi-tech defence and ship-building industries would benefit from billions of dollars of weapons purchases including new warships, fighter jets, and manned and unmanned spy planes proposed to be based at the Edinburgh RAAF base.

Billions of dollars and thousands of jobs are earmarked for South Australia in the Federal Government's $300 billion defence contracts plan.

The plan for defence equipment across the nation includes:

100 stealth jet fighters,
EIGHT new frigates,
20 fast offshore combat vessels,
SIX heavy landing craft,
66 new helicopters,
EIGHT maritime patrol planes,
A 15,000-tonne supply ship.

The army's expansion has been set in stone and the new Adelaide-based battalion and all the ancillary works associated with it will now proceed.

Bigger salaries, conditions and housing for the Australian Defence Force's 55,000 uniformed personnel is also provided.

SA Premier Mike Rann says it will secure thousands of jobs and years more shipbuilding work in Adelaide.

"This is the cream on the cake for us and also guarantees another massive project to follow the air warfare destroyers project," he said.


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