Defence Facilities

South Australia is home to a large and varied contingent of Australian Defence organisation facilities, with further expansion underway.

RAAF BASE EDINBURGH

RAAF Base Edinburgh is 25 kilometres north of Adelaide. With over 2,000 personnel on site, it is home to the Aerospace Operational Support Group and the 92 Wing Command which operates the AP-3C Orions, the nation's only long-range maritime patrol aircraft, and other surveillance and reconnaissance facilities.

DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION EDINBURGH

The DSTO facility in Edinburgh is the largest defence electronics research and development centre in the southern hemisphere, home to around 1,400 staff. It provides scientific support to the ADF for major defence procurement projects. It has strengths in the areas of electronics, communications and software research, modelling and analysis for maritime, land and air environment.

AIR WARFARE DESTROYER SYSTEMS CENTRE

The AWD Systems Centre is the AWD national headquarters. It houses Defence and industry participants working to bring the AWD design to life, including AWD Alliance members; Defence Materiel Organisation, ASC AWD Shipbuilder Pty Ltd and Raytheon Australia.

CULTANA TRAINING AREA

Cultana Training Area at the top of Spencer Gulf is used extensively for training by the ADF. Its geographical position and climate offer significant training advantages. The range is set to expand five-fold over the next five years, with plans to upgrade its electronic instruments and network it as part of the Joint Combined Training Capability.

WOOMERA TEST RANGE

Located around 500 kilometres northwest of Adelaide, the Woomera Test Range is the largest land-based range in the world. It covers 127,000 square kilometres.

Woomera has been used as an international testing ground for missiles and space related activities since the end of World War II because of its unique attributes. The range hosts a wide spectrum of ground, air and space activities for Australian and international government and commercial organisations.

Defence has also recently committed to a major defence modernisation program for Woomera.

PORT WAKEFIELD PROOF AND EXPERIMENTAL ESTABLISHMENT

The Port Wakefield Proof and Experimental Establishment conducts weapons research and testing for the Australian Army and Navy.  It is the only range in Australia where projectiles can be fired into a coastal area and, because of coastal tides, retrieved relatively undamaged for assessment and review.