Doors almost as big as Olympic swimming pools have been installed, to complete the external structure of a $200 million defence megastructure in Adelaide’s north led by Renewal SA.

Four giant doors, each wide enough to allow a Boeing 737 aircraft to pass through, were fitted to the Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility (DMMF) being built next to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base at Edinburgh.

Each doorway leads to an individual aircraft hangar. The doors are made of six individual panels assembled to create a stacking structure. Each panel is eight metres wide and 14.5 metres tall, weighing four tonnes.

Once assembled, each hangar door spans 48 metres.

Their installation brings the project to ‘lock-up’ stage which means the end of external works and will allow for the completion of the internal fit-out of the building, which is intended to strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capability.

Tim Tape, Renewal SA’s Development Director of Industrial and Defence Projects, said the installation of the doors was a logistical success and major milestone for Renewal SA and construction partner BESIX Watpac.

“These doors are absolutely huge and have travelled a very long way to get here,” Mr Tape said.

“Transporting the pieces, installing them and finally locking up this incredible facility has been a big logistical effort. We’re pleased to reach another exciting milestone.”

The doors were designed and manufactured by specialist aircraft support engineers SAM Technology, based in Smithfield, New South Wales.

Six B-double trucks made the 1,300-kilometre journey to Edinburgh, delivering the disassembled structures.

“When the pieces arrived, it took almost four weeks for the team to assemble and hang the doors,” Mr Tape said.

“When they are complete, you could park four city buses nose to tail between each entrance.”

Mark Baker, BESIX Watpac Chief Executive Officer said he was pleased with the progress his team was making in collaboration with Renewal SA.

“In partnership with Renewal SA, the BESIX Watpac team continues to make strong progress on building the Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility, and we’re pleased to have completed the installation of these large bespoke hangar doors, a complex phase delivered through exceptional planning and a united team effort,” Mr Baker said.

“As part of our commitment to building capability within the region, we worked closely with our supplier to engage local subcontractors for installation and cladding works.”

Mr Barker said the DMMF was a prime example of industry and government working together with productivity front of mind, achieved through collaboration and the strategic use of digital construction methods to deliver a mission-critical asset that will enhance Australia’s sovereign capabilities.

“Through this approach, we are delivering ahead of program and expect to maintain this momentum through to completion,” he said.

The DMMF is targeting construction completion in mid-2026, when Renewal SA will lease the facility to the Commonwealth Department of Defence for 30 years, with options for two 10-year extensions.

The purpose-built, four-bay aircraft hangar will support the long-term maintenance and modification of the Australian Defence Force’s fleet of RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and RAAF E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

Earlier this year, it was announced the facility will also support the maintenance of New Zealand’s P-8A Poseidon fleet.

Aircraft will arrive at the adjoining RAAF Base Edinburgh, taxi to a nearby defueling station, then be towed to the DMMF for a significant schedule of modification programs from late 2026.

Mr Tape, who has led the DMMF project since construction began last year, said progress is exceeding expectations.

“We’re actually ahead of schedule, which for a building of this scale is really quite remarkable,” he said.

“We are now staring down the barrel of a major defence project signed, sealed and delivered in the space of five years.

“I am confident this project will send a strong signal to the defence industry that Renewal SA, and South Australia more broadly is primed and ready to support the expansion of Australia’s defence future.”

The DMMF was announced in 2021 after South Australia was nominated as its preferred location by the Commonwealth Government.

It received development approval in September 2023, and construction began in August 2024.

The project is expected to deliver 450 jobs during the construction of the massive 2.1-hectare facility and once complete, will bring 50 new highly skilled defence industry jobs online in advanced aircraft maintenance, engineering, avionics and logistics.