Greg Combet, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, recently met with the United Kingdom (UK) Minister for International Defence and Security, the Right Hon. Baroness Ann Taylor PC, at Holsworthy Barracks.

“Australia and the UK share strong bilateral defence ties and our ongoing dialogue on security, strategic affairs and materiel cooperation plays an important role in developing our relationship,” Mr Combet said.

Mr Combet and Baroness Taylor discussed continued cooperation and information exchange on Australia’s Future Submarine project, the UK’s Future Surface Combatant, Australia’s Offshore Combatant Vessel, the Integrated Soldier System project, Cavalry and Mounted Infantry capabilities and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) project.

“Australia and the UK will continue working closely with the US and other JSF partners and Lockheed Martin to ensure the JSF Program meets its cost, schedule and capability goals,” Mr Combet said.

“We also appreciate the UK’s considered advice on matters relevant to our Future Submarine capability noting its long history of submarine operation and a robust infrastructure supporting design, development and manufacture.

“It is important that we continue to have discussions with like-minded countries on procurement and sustainment improvement and lessons learnt.

“The reinvigoration of the Australia-UK relationship, as announced by our Prime Ministers in March 2009, has also seen a substantial lift in science and technology co-operation between our two countries.

“This includes better information exchange flows, new co-operative research activities, secondments of science and technology experts to address common operational challenges such as improvised explosive devices, and working with the UK to trial new technologies which will help our respective forces in Afghanistan.

“The meeting also provided an opportunity to welcome the successful completion of the archaeological excavation at Fromelles and discuss plans for re-interment of the remains in January-February 2010 and their commemoration in July 2010.

“I am pleased with the work of Oxford Archaeology and others on the site and the recent completion of detailed analysis of all 250 sets of remains. This represents another important milestone in the project and the honouring of Australian and British WWI servicemen, who fell, and will be buried, alongside each other.”