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A Boeing P-8A in the skies over Melbourne, Australia.
Credit: Zuma Press Inc./Alamy Stock Photo
SINGAPORE—Boeing announced Feb. 2 it picked Australian company Ferra Engineering to produce wing kits for an anti-submarine torpedo for its P-8A maritime patrol aircraft.
The new contract is an extension of an ongoing partnership between the two countries and creates a local production line for the High-Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC).
“Local HAAWC production with Ferra means more skilled jobs in Australia and deeper sovereign manufacturing capability,” Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, said in an announcement. “This partnership serves as a practical investment in national defense and regional security aligned to Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise sovereign objectives.”
HAAWC is an all-weather kit for the Raytheon Mk. 54 torpedo designed for the P-8 that can be launched from high altitudes.
Boeing and Ferra cooperate on other Australian programs including the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, along with components for the F/A-18, AH-64E and P-8, according to Boeing. The companies also have a memorandum of understanding for wing kits for the Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range and Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range.
“This contract not only reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality, Australian-made defense solutions, but also highlights the importance of collaboration in advancing our nation’s defense capabilities,” Ferra Engineering CEO Aaron Thompson said in the statement.
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