Lockheed Martin Australia has announced Australian industry partner Quickstep, wholly owned subsidiary of ASDAM has completed the 300th ship-set of composite wing flaps for the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

“Reaching the 300th ship-set milestone is a significant achievement for Quickstep and for Australian defence manufacturing and even more significant that these components will be installed on the first of Australia’s new C-130Js,” Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, Vice President Operations, Toni Marzulli, said.

“Quickstep has proven itself as a long-standing, reliable and critical partner, consistently delivering mission-essential composite structures to the quality, scale and precision required for global aerospace programs.” 

Manufactured at Quickstep’s Bankstown Airport facility, the 300th ship-set will be delivered to Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Marietta, Georgia.

This event has also included the completion of composite wing flaps for the first aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) new C-130J fleet.

The aircraft has been scheduled to be delivered by Lockheed Martin in 2028 under Project Air 7404.

“The milestone reflected decades of technical excellence and sustained investment. Being the sole global supplier of C-130J composite wing flaps is a testament to the capability of our people and the strength of our partnership with Lockheed Martin,” Chief Executive Officer of ASDAM, Rohan Stocker, highlighted. 

“This program has been foundational to Quickstep’s growth and continues to provide highly skilled jobs and advanced manufacturing capability here in Australia. Our entire team is proud to contribute to the Lockheed Martin Global Supply Chain.”

Quickstep has been a trusted partner to Lockheed Martin for more than a decade. Lockheed Martin has worked closely with Quickstep to develop and sustain advanced manufacturing capability in Australia. 

Under Lockheed Martin’s C-130J program, Quickstep is the sole global supplier of composite wing flaps for the aircraft and Australia’s only production supplier to the program to date.

All C-130 aircraft manufactured since 2014 incorporate wing flaps manufactured by Quickstep at its Bankstown Airport site.

Quickstep produced its 100th ship-set in 2017 and its 200th in 2021. Australia has a long operational history with the C-130 aircraft, having introduced the Hercules into RAAF service more than 65 years ago.