Defence HQ construction begins in South Australia

Construction of Defence HQ, where BAE Systems Australia's new Australian corporate headquarters will be, has begun.

BAE Systems will be an anchor tenant in the newly named 11-storey building alongside Adelaide University and several Commonwealth and State defence agencies.

"For more than 70 years we have been delivering sovereign Defence capability from our South Australian operations. This new head office will oversee major Defence programs that will protect Australians for decades to come," BAE Systems Australia, Chief Executive Officer, Craig Lockhart, indicated.

“Establishing a new head office in the centre of Adelaide also reflects our strong partnership with the South Australian Government and the importance of ensuring we are an attractive employer that enables teams to work in an environment that inspires them to thrive and can accommodate our plans for employee growth in coming years."

The work at Lot Fourteen will focus on delivering Defence programs including the construction of the SSN-AUKUS fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the build of the six Hunter-class frigates, and the delivery of over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) capabilities to the Commonwealth as Sovereign Industry Partner to the Jindalee Operational Radar Network and the Arctic OTHR program in Canada.

BAE Systems' employees operate at more than 40 sites across Australia in domains including maritime, aerospace, cyber, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and high frequency surveillance.

In addition to its customer-facing office in Canberra, the company has a significant footprint in Adelaide, with key locations including Osborne Naval Shipyard, Edinburgh Parks, and Tonsley.

The Lot Fourteen district is currently home to 160 technology companies as well as Commonwealth and State government-funded agencies specialising in defence, space, critical technologies and cyber capabilities.