Lockheed Martin to advance Australia's JABMS under follow-on contract

Lockheed Martin engineers work on building the Joint Air Battle Management System. (Lockheed Martin)

The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded Lockheed Martin Australia a contract worth AUD1.32 billion (USD952.5 million) under Project Air 6500 Phase 1 to advance the Joint Air Battle Management System (JABMS), the company announced on 9 September.

Lockheed Martin Australia has been developing JABMS since April 2024, when it received an initial AUD500 million contract from the DoD. The system is intended to integrate the Australian Defence Force's (ADF's) air and missile defence capabilities across all domains, providing commanders with a unified battlespace picture to support the timely detection, tracking, and engagement of threats at multiple ranges.

Lockheed Martin Australia said the latest contract will enhance JABMS' core architecture through upgrades to command-and-control (C2) and communications capabilities, while incorporating advanced cyber security measures to improve system resilience.

The enhancements are scheduled to be delivered over the next six years and are intended to strengthen interoperability with allied forces while enabling the rapid integration of future technologies. To support the programme, Lockheed Martin Australia plans to increase its JABMS engineering workforce from 360 personnel to more than 400 by the end of 2027.

The DoD said on 9 September that it will invest AUD2.4 billion over the next six years to strengthen JABMS. The investment will support the modernisation and replacement of air surveillance systems and aircraft control functions.

The DoD said JABMS will connect current and future ADF platforms, including the Hobart-class destroyers, F-35A Lightning II aircraft and the Medium-Range Ground-Based Air Defence system, to co-ordinate ADF operations in Australia and overseas.