Thales joins forces with RGM Maintenance

Defence contractor Thales Australia has partnered with Queensland SME, RGM Maintenance to help optimise and advance specialised heavy vehicle maintenance and regional access to services and maintenance of Land Materiel including armoured vehicles for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The new partnership with RGM will boost the specialised skills, experience and training necessary to optimise land materiel services and maintain the ADF’s current and future heavy vehicle fleets.

Under the new partnership, RGM will provide a highly skilled workforce in regional areas including northern Queensland and Darwin – coupled with Thales’s services footprint covering 38 sites across Australia, the pairing will support an increased availability of maintenance activities closer to, or co-located with, ADF operational bases.

This will reduce the cost of heavy vehicle transport, provide greater value for money through reduced time and cost of maintenance activities, and deliver training that will enhance local expertise and skills in regional Australia.

RGM has supported the ADF and Defence industry partners with light, medium, heavy and protected vehicle maintenance along with engineering plant equipment since 2002, and has worked with Thales for the past 15 years.

RGM provides Thales with specialised vehicle on-demand maintenance for Bushmaster and Hawkei protected vehicles, as well as supporting surge capacity requirements such as painting and surface preparation for niche maintenance activities including the recent readying of 40 Australian Government donated Bushmasters to Ukraine (pictured).

RGM is a significant regional employer in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and in the past 18 months has committed to over $30 million of investment in new state of the art facilities in Mackay, and the development of a new purpose-built facility in Townsville, Northern Queensland.

Director RGM Maintenance Russell Newman said: “RGM is very proud of the relationship we have had with Thales over the last 15years, originally with a contract to support the Bushmaster training fleet and the growth that has led from there.

“We strive for excellence in maintenance delivery for the ADF.

“We are a proud North Queensland company employing locals in regional Queensland and the Northern Territory, and a key part of these communities that are motivated to support the ADF’s serving members with quality repair and equipment husbandry is a big part of RGM culture.”

Picture: Thales/Bushmaster being prepared for Ukraine