Almost two thousand tonnes of structural steel, more than half of which came from the Whyalla Steelworks, have been erected to complete the frame for Renewal SA’s enormous defence aircraft modification facility in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
The 1,800-tonne skeleton of the $200 million Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility (DMMF), constructed by BESIX Watpac, will pave the way for the next phase of the project to proceed which, when complete, will bolster Australia’s sovereign defence capability.
Tim Tape, Renewal SA’s Development Director of Industrial and Defence projects, said it has been a mammoth effort to complete the first phase of the DMMF, which kicked off in August last year and is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
“Within the DMMF, there are four main trusses, each weighing around 130 tonnes, which in itself is staggering,” Mr Tape said.
“It takes three cranes to lift one, over 2,000 productive hours of fabrication to make one, and 2,000 productive hours to paint one, using 3,000 litres of paint. That’s just one truss.”
Work to date has included:
- Importing 190,000 tonnes of fill material for base buildup
- Pouring 8,100 m³ of concrete for footings
- Erecting 1,800 tonnes of structural steel for the frame (61% from Whyalla steelworks)
- Employing 100 specialist workers on site every day.
The purpose-built, four-bay aircraft hangar will support the long-term maintenance and modification requirements for 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.
The Boeing 737 variants will arrive at the adjoining Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base at Edinburgh, taxi to a nearby defueling station, before being towed to the DMMF to undergo a significant schedule of modification programs from late 2026.
Currently, Australian aircraft requiring deep-level maintenance are sent to the United States. Once the DMMF is complete, it will be the only facility of its kind in Australia, bolstering the nation’s sovereign defence capability.
But in a significant boost to Australia’s Defence industry and sovereign capability, it was announced New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) P-8A Poseidon fleet aircraft will also undergo comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul at the DMMF facility, while United States Navy (USN) MQ-4C Triton will undergo repair at the adjacent RAAF Base Edinburgh.
As the final pieces of framework were being secured into place, work began to lay the first sheets of roofing material, as builders now aim to weatherproof the enormous facility before winter.
The roofs of three hangars, the warehouse, office area and workshops are now complete.
“It’s important this project remains on time, so getting the roof in place before a significant change in weather occurs is crucial,” Mr Tape said.
Installation of cladding for the hangars and offices is underway, and the installation of giant doors will occur once the roof is complete.
The building will be handed over to the end user in mid-2026. Renewal SA will then lease the facility to the Commonwealth Department of Defence for 30 years, with two 10-year extension options, for Boeing Defence Australia to undertake deep maintenance of defence aircraft.
“Having this work done in Australia rather than abroad will create efficiencies, generate dozens of highly skilled jobs in South Australia, and reduce the time defence aircraft are offline,” Mr Tape added.
The DMMF was announced in 2021 after South Australia was nominated as its preferred location by the Commonwealth Government.
Its development application was assessed by the State Commission Assessment Panel, and development approval was granted in September 2023, with construction on the facility starting in August 2024.
The project is expected to deliver 450 construction jobs during the build 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.
“Renewal SA has significantly increased its in-house capability to deliver projects of scale for the defence industry throughout this project,” Mr Tape added.
“We look forward to more opportunities to utilise our abilities, as South Australia’s defence industry continues to grow.”