Lockheed Martin Australia has formally signed on as the first tenant for Hunter Land’s Commercial Precinct at the Williamtown Aerospace Centre. Lockheed Martin Australia will occupy a purpose built facility as part of 1 Technology Place.

The company has recently executed lease agreements with WAC Holdings, a Hunter Land affiliated company, to initially provide it with office accommodation for at least 20 engineering and IT staff, along with a workshop area. Provision for the accommodation of over 30 additional staff is to be made in a Stage 2 development. Once completed, the new Williamtown facility will be utilised by Lockheed Martin Australia to support the development of Royal Australian Air Force wide area surveillance programs. It will also provide a consolidated centre for company operations in the greater Newcastle and Hunter Valley areas, with staff planning to move into the new facility in May 2014.

Lockheed Martin Australia Pty Limited, headquartered in Canberra, is a wholly-owend subsidiary of US-based Lockheed Martin Corporation, a global security and aerospace company. LM Australia specialises in the development, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The company employs more than 900 people in Australia and New Zealand working on a wide range of major programmes spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors. In 2013, combined revenues exceeded A$270 million.

The Williamtown Aerospace Centre has been a joint regional and state partnership enabled by the NSW State Government through major infrastructure delivery by Hunter Water Corporation. The development of the business park is another step in realising the Defence Strategy developed for the Hunter Region, which has been promoted by Newcastle MP Tim Owen AM.