Adelaide – 30 May 2016: The country’s largest combat systems integrator, Raytheon Australia, today announced its new Australian Submarine Industry Incubator (ASII) in Adelaide, which will complement its existing Incubator in Sydney, giving Australian businesses the opportunity to engage in combat system integration work for Australia’s Submarines.

Raytheon Australia’s Managing Director, Michael Ward, said that the Incubator further demonstrates the company’s commitment to assisting innovative Australian businesses in playing an active role in Australia’s submarine combat systems. 

“This is about real submarine work for Australians.  The Incubator aims to create new and sustainable submarine combat systems work right here in this country”, Mr Ward said. 

“For more than fifteen years Raytheon’s investment in Australia has centred on the people, tools, processes and know-how necessary to create the largest and most capable Combat System Integrator in the country. The Incubator demonstrates Raytheon Australia’s ongoing commitment to supporting Australian businesses in pursuing an active role in Australian submarine combat system development.”

The Incubator will allow Australian businesses to mature their technical applications by dynamically testing it in the incubator environment.

Upon appropriate Commonwealth approval, the Incubator can help facilitate the integration of technical applications into the tactical weapon control system in Australian Submarines. The Incubator can provide local Australian businesses with the opportunity to build a genuinely sovereign Australian submarine combat system capability. 

In addition to use of the Incubator, selected SMEs can also draw upon the experience of Raytheon Australia as Australia’s leading combat system integrator, helping them navigate the complex submarine combat system regulatory environment.

Cirrus RTPS, one of the Australian firms participating in the local incubator, today praised the initiative. Peter Freed, Managing Director of Cirrus RTPS, said, “I am pleased that Cirrus is actively participating in this new Raytheon Australia industry incubator, which provides a potential integration pathway for relevant indigenous technologies to contribute to our nation’s sovereign submarine capability.”

“The combat systems environment brings with it a range of technology, integration, export controls and naval regulatory issues, and this incubator serves as an important link in surmounting these challenges”, Mr Freed concluded.

For more than a decade and a half, Raytheon Australia has utilised close to 200 Australian suppliers to support its Collins Combat System activities just as it has worked with 300 local suppliers on its work on the Air Warfare Destroyer. The company regularly engages some 1500 Australian suppliers across its portfolio of programs. Raytheon Australia has also generated $420 million in contracts for Australian suppliers in the global supply chain activities of its parent company. 

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Media contact:
Danielle DeSantis, P: +61 8 8165 7846 | M: +61 434 315 353
Danielle.DeSantis@raytheon.com.au   

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I^TM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.