The Project

The Battlefield Airlifter project was one of the most significant defence infrastructure programmes delivered in Queensland — a multi-phase, $370 million initiative supporting the relocation of No. 35 Squadron and its fleet of C-27J Spartan aircraft from RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales to RAAF Base Amberley.

The C-27J Spartan bridges a critical capability gap in the Australian Defence Force — providing tactical airlift that sits between Army rotary wing assets and larger Air Force platforms like the C-130J Hercules and C-17A Globemaster III. Capable of operating from austere airstrips, airdropping cargo and paratroops, and conducting aeromedical evacuation, the Spartan represented a significant uplift in ADF tactical transport capability. The infrastructure needed to support it had to match that ambition.

What was delivered

The programme delivered a comprehensive suite of new and upgraded facilities across RAAF Base Amberley — one of Australia's busiest and most strategically significant defence installations — while maintaining full base operations throughout a six-year delivery programme.

Facilities for No. 35 Squadron included squadron headquarters, hangars and aprons sized to accommodate the full squadron at constant operational capacity, maintenance facilities, propulsion and avionics workshops, metal workshop, surface finishing, aircraft life support, and logistics and deployment facilities.

The Training Systems Facility — designed in collaboration with Architectus as sub-consultants to the Managing Contractor — delivered working accommodation, classrooms, briefing rooms, a fuselage trainer, flight simulator, part-task trainers, maintenance facilities, and training storage. It was purpose-built to support the introduction of the Spartan into 35SQN service.

Base infrastructure upgrades displaced by the new 35SQN facilities were also delivered — including a new Fire Station and Bureau of Meteorology facility, Transit Accommodation, Base Briefing Room, Heritage building relocation, and Australian Air Force Cadet Facilities.

The Fire Station — a CAT 8, 24/7 service facility supporting 53 permanent staff and 28 reservists — was delivered on a constrained site with airfield planning, obstacle limitation surface, and environmental requirements demanding specific dispensations. It accommodates four standby engines with full airfield vision from a third-floor control room, plus an annex for servicing and maintenance of a further ten engines and complementary service vehicles.

The outcome

The final phase of the Battlefield Airlifter and Main Operating Base Facilities Project was handed over to Defence in June 2019 — six years after programme commencement. The programme successfully introduced No. 35 Squadron and the C-27J Spartan to RAAF Base Amberley while maintaining continuous base operations throughout delivery, navigating complex scope, budget, site, environmental, and heritage requirements across multiple concurrent packages of work.

Our role

Brad Eathorne served as Planning Phase Manager for the Managing Contractor, responsible for all client meetings, project forums, reporting, and contract deliverables through the planning phase — driving a collaborative team culture across Defence, design consultants, and key stakeholders through to PWC approval.