MIN 87/97 Thursday, June 26, 1997
NULKA ROUNDS CONTRACT WILL BENEFIT AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY
The Defence Department and British Aerospace Australia have signed a contract to produce Nulka hovering rocket decoys to protect Australian, American and Canadian ships from missile attacks.
The Minister for Defence, Mr Ian McLachlan, said the contract will bring work worth an estimated $58 million to Australian industry which represents more than 50 per cent of the contract value.
Based on research by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and development by Australian industry, the Nulka system employs a hovering rocket to lure anti-ship missiles away from friendly ships. (Nulka is Aboriginal for 'be quick'.)
The system has been developed by Australia and the United States collaboratively and was recently selected by Canada as well to protect their naval ships. The prime contractor for the production of the anti-ship decoy rounds, British Aerospace, already holds contracts to supply the other elements of the Nulka system - the fire control console and the launcher for the RAN and Canada.
"Production of the Nulka rounds offers a substantial degree of Australian Industry Involvement," Mr McLachlan said. "Major work will be done at British Aerospace Australia (BAeA) Salisbury (SA) and Melbourne and at ADI at Mulwala (NSW) and Bendigo."
The work includes:
· Manufacture of rocket motors, canisters and flight control systems;
· Assembly of decoys using US-sourced payloads;
· Application of advanced technologies involved in the development
of rocket motors ane the decoy flight control systems; and
· System integration work to fit the payloads to the motors.
The Minister added that further work is expected depending on additional orders for rounds. "The decoy rounds will be delivered from late 1998," he said, "and the overall Nulka systems should be operational on RAN ships from mid-1999."
NOTE FOR EDITORS/CHIEFS OF STAFF: PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE OF THE SIGNING CEREMONY FROM MIGNON PATTERSON ON (06) 2651164.
Further information:
Ministerial Jim Bonner 0419 428 490
Departmental John Brentnall (06) 266 6302