Newcastle airport to ready for fighter jet maintenance

The federal government will build an Aircraft Coating Facility at Newcastle Airport in regional NSW to maintain the stealth of Australia’s fleet of F-35A Lightning II aircraft (pictured), as well as allied aircraft.

At Australia’s first dedicated coating facility, a specialised paint will be applied to the aircraft to ensure they are virtually invisible to an adversary’s radar.

The new facility is being established in partnership with BAE Systems Australia which is responsible for the maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade activities for Australia’s fleet of 63 F-35A aircraft. The government will ultimately have a fleet of 72.

The Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said: “This is a vote of confidence in the Hunter that ensures these world-class aircraft will operate and be sustained from Newcastle Airport for decades to come.

“Defence industry companies in the Hunter and across Australia are already making a significant contribution to the F-35 program and this will grow in the years ahead.”

Establishing the facility will create up to 25 new ongoing jobs, adding to the 360 local workers that already sustain the F-35As at Newcastle Airport.

The design for the $100 million coating facility is due to be finalised by the end of this year, with construction expected to start around mid-2024.

To date, only Australian F-35As have undergone maintenance by BAE at Newcastle Airport. The new coating facility will support the maintenance of other F-35A fleets operating in the Indo-Pacific, transforming Newcastle Airport into a future regional hub.

Picture: Defence/F-35A Lightning