Senator the Hon. Robert Hill,Minister for DefenceLeader of the...

 
Senator the Hon. Robert Hill,
Minister for Defence
Leader of the Government in the Senate

 
Media Release
12 Mar 2004   MIN49/04

MELBOURNE FIRM wins AUSTRALIA’S FIRST JSF SOFTWARE CONTRACT

Melbourne-based Adacel Technologies will supply speech recognition software systems for the $US200 billion global Joint Strike Fighter program, Defence Minister Robert Hill and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane announced today.

"A world leader in aviation simulation and training systems and air-traffic management software, Adacel is the first Australian company selected to provide software for the JSF program," the Ministers said.

"This is a significant achievement for Adacel – with the potential to generate work during the production phases of the program in which more than 4500 of the multi-role stealth fighters are expected to be manufactured."

Under a Memorandum of Agreement signed with JSF prime contractor Lockheed Martin, Adacel will develop a speech-enabled cockpit control system as part of the 10-year System Development and Demonstration phase of the JSF program.

"Speech-controlled cockpit functions are a new feature for fighter aircraft and are expected to give pilots the ability to control critical mission systems such as radars and radios without having to move their hands from the controls," the Ministers said.

Adacel has an established international reputation for its speech and system automation technology in aviation and defence environments. Lockheed Martin selected Adacel on the basis of their technological capability in a stiff competition against the best in the world.

"This result is good news for Adacel and Australian industry in general, as the Australian Government continues to work with local industry and Lockheed Martin to involve Australian companies in the higher technology areas of the JSF program," the Ministers said.

Adacel is headquartered in Melbourne, with offices in Sydney, Canberra and Albury-Wodonga, and employs over 430 staff, primarily software and systems engineering professionals. Adacel established an office in the US in 1988 and has since expanded with operations in Montreal, Orlando, Los Angeles, Washington and the UK. The JSF work will be undertaken in Melbourne and Sydney.

To date 11 Australian companies have won work on the JSF program.

Media contacts
Catherine Fitzpatrick
(Senator Hill)
02 6277 7800
0405 351 245
Kirsty Boazman
(Mr Macfarlane)
02 6277 7580
0412 171 444