RAAF Base Amberley

For more than 25 years, Boeing Defence Australia has proudly operated at RAAF Base Amberley, partnering with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on some of Australia’s most important frontline military aircraft programs.

Since 1995, when Boeing started its first contract at RAAF Base Amberley upgrading the avionics system on the venerable F-111 strike aircraft, our people have worked side-by-side with the women and men of the RAAF to help advance Australia’s air defences.

Today, our team of more than 500 Amberly employees, including many Defence Force veterans, work with defence industry and local suppliers to deliver a range of maintenance, upgrades, modifications, engineering and logistics services to ensure the RAAF remains mission ready for military, peacetime and humanitarian efforts.

Learn more about Boeing’s operations at RAAF Base Amberley below.

Boeing Defence Australia’s team at RAAF Base Amberley has partnered with the RAAF for more than a decade to ensure Australia’s F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers remain amongst the most advanced and formidable multi-role fighters in the world.

Under the Air Combat Electronic Attack Sustainment Program (ACEASP), Boeing Defence Australia partners with local industry and draws on the capabilities and expertise from The Boeing Company in the U.S. to provide logistics, maintenance, engineering, and operational and capability upgrade services to the RAAF’s fleet of 24 Super Hornets and 12 Growlers.

Follow the links to learn more about the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler.

The Boeing-built E-7A Wedgetail is widely regarded as the world’s most advanced air battle management system. Known as an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, it provides powerful airborne surveillance, communications and battle management information during military air operations.

At RAAF Base Amberley, Boeing Defence Australia performs deeper level maintenance and block upgrades on the RAAF’s six Wedgetail aircraft, which involves in-depth, complex and specialised maintenance, modifications and repairs on the aircraft’s structure, engines, avionics and missions systems that can take up to two years.

To learn more about the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, click here.

The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III is the heavy lift workhorse of the skies, carrying large equipment, supplies and personnel for a range of peacetime operations, disaster relief and other military missions.

The RAAF operates eight C-17s out of RAAF Base Amberley, and its Boeing Defence Australia’s job to help keep them mission ready at all times. Under the C-17 Australian Sustainment Services Contract, Boeing Defence Australia provides a range of maintenance, engineering, logistics and operations support services. Partnering with The Boeing Company in the U.S., Boeing Defence Australia employees also provide field service and engineering support, and train all pilots, loadmasters and maintenance technicians using both on-aircraft and synthetic training devices.

For more information on the Boeing C-17A Globemaster, click here.

In addition to the aircraft programs Boeing Defence Australia delivers at RAAF Base Amberley, the company operates a range of facilities to support the Air Force fleet, including:

• Aircraft Paint Shop – Aircraft surface finishing is about more than just keeping an aircraft’s paint scheme in good condition. Painted surfaces are integral to an aircraft’s performance. At RAAF Base Amberley, Boeing Defence Australia has operated an aircraft paint shop – known as a Surface Finishing Facility – for more than 20 years. The team provides surface finishing services – including preparing all aircraft surfaces, remediating surface issues and painting the aircraft – for the Australian Defence Force and commercial customers on platforms including F/A-18F Super Hornets, Hawk-127s, MRH-90 and Tiger helicopters, and the RACQ Rescue Helicopter.
  
  
• Structures and Bonded – Our Structures and Bonded team ensures the structural integrity of various aircraft components, from the wings and fuselage to vertical stabilisers and everything in between. Our Structures and Bonded team works within dedicated environmentally-controlled facilities to perform a range of repairs, modification and maintenance activities, including manufacturing aircraft parts using a three- or five-axis CNC (computer numerical control) machine, metal fabrication and tooling.
  
  
• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) – NDT is used to detect, measure and monitor problems in aircraft structures, such as corrosion and cracking, without harming or affecting its purpose. Our team of certified professionals perform a comprehensive range of NDT services at RAAF Base Amberley, including penetrant, magnetic particle, eddy current, ultrasonic testing, radiography and thermography to ensure the reliability of structures and components.
  
  
• Life Support – Our Life Support team is responsible for all aspects of life saving equipment on aircraft operated at RAAF Base Amberley. This includes preparing and repairing C-17 Globemaster life rafts, and aircrew personal equipment, helmets, oxygen, communications equipment, and survival kits for F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers. We also train the Air Force aircrew who fly in each aircraft in the safe and correct use of survival aids and equipment.
  
  
• Logistics and Warehousing – We have a large team of logistics experts who provide vital support to every Boeing platform at RAAF Base Amberley. Our warehouse teams stock a wide range of spare parts required for repairs, routine servicings and deeper maintenance for each Boeing aircraft on base. This includes consumable items such as oils and lubricants through to large items such as new F/A-18F Super Hornet canopies and C-17 Globemaster wheels and tyres.
  
  
• Engineering – Our team of aeronautical, avionics and armament engineers are part of a global Boeing team of technical experts who design engineering solutions for routine servicings through to complex aircraft repairs, modifications and upgrades. Their deep understanding of all aspects of the structure, avionics and/or weapons systems on some of the world’s most advanced military aircraft helps ensure they are safe, operational and ready for frontline missions.