“Genocide Grants.” Government awards millions to F-35 suppliers

by Stephanie Tran

The Federal Government has awarded $78 million in grants to Australian companies that make parts for F-35 fighter jets used by the IDF in the Gaza genocide. Stephanie Tran investigates.

Contrary to government assertions, an investigation by MWM has found the federal government has awarded more than $78m in taxpayer-funded grants to Australian companies participating in the global F-35 fighter jet program, with the majority of these grants awarded during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The same parts are now likely deployed in the US and Israeli illegal bombing campaign in Iran.

Analysis of government grant records shows that since 2011, at least $78m has been distributed to companies to support their involvement in the multinational Joint Strike Fighter program.

Of that total, $48.5m has been awarded since October 7, 2023.

The funding forms part of a suite of industry support programs designed to help Australian companies secure work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, a US-led global supply chain for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.

The F-35 has been widely deployed by Israel in its genocide in Gaza, and assaults on Lebanon, Iran and elsewhere.

The analysis reveals that a relatively small number of firms have received a significant share of the funding, with grants targeted at expanding Australia’s role in the maintenance and sustainment of the F-35 fleet.

The largest recipient was Rosebank Engineering (formerly RUAG Australia), which received $30.2m across multiple grants. This included $16.3m awarded in April 2025 to establish an Asia-Pacific depot to repair F-35 power and thermal management systems, and a further $9.1m to develop a regional repair capability for landing gear.

Rosebank Engineering “provides over 150 components for the Landing Gear and Weapons Bay Systems” on the F-35 fighter jet.

The second-largest recipient was Northrop Grumman Australia, which received $13.4m in June 2024 to support the activation of a depot for the maintenance and overhaul of F-35 components for the Asia-Pacific region, with potential to service European assignments.

Other major recipients include Moog Australia, Quickstep Technologies and Ferra Engineering, alongside a network of specialist manufacturers.

In total, more than 75 Australian companies are now involved in the F-35 program, collectively securing contracts worth more than $5 billion.

The grants have been delivered through three key programs administered by the Department of Defence.

The Joint Strike Fighter Industry Support Program Sustainment Grants, which remains open until June 2028, provides funding to companies seeking to expand their role in maintaining and servicing F-35 aircraft.

To be eligible for a grant, companies must have a contract with the United States Government for “maintenance and repair activities for existing components used in the Joint Strike Fighter Program”.

Applicants are required to produce a congressional letter from the US Department of Defense confirming their F-35 part number assignment and/or repair technology group as part of their application.

Initially launched with $4m in funding in 2020, the program was expanded to $60m in 2021 and extended to 2028. To date, $49.5m in JSF Sustainment Grants have been awarded.

A second stream, the Joint Strike Fighter Industry Support Program Production and Modernisation Grants, operated between December 2021 and August 2024, providing $4m to help companies “develop new or improved capabilities to win work in the production and modernisation phases of the Joint Strike Fighter Program”.

An earlier initiative, the New Air Combat Capability Industry Support Program, ran from 2010 to June 2021 and distributed $21.9m to help Australian firms integrate into the F-35 supply chain under Defence’s AIR6000 project.

According to the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), the project aimed to ensure Australia’s air combat capability remained “lethal, survivable, deployable and available throughout its Life of Type”.

Approached for comment, Greens Defence and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the grants demonstrated misplaced government priorities, telling MWM:

“When you see tens of millions of dollars in Australian public grants given, not to community groups or social programs but to global weapons manufacturers like Northrop Grumman, you see the priorities of Labor and the other war parties,” 

They always have money for weapons and war.

“The F35 fighter jet is a major weapon in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, its illegal war in Iran and its illegal occupation in Southern Lebanon. It’s obscene that it’s being propped up by public gifts from the Australian government.” 

The ANAO has attributed the success of Australian firms in securing F-35 contracts to these government grants.

“Allocating financial resources and implementing the grant programs … enabled Australian industry to bid for and win work,” the ANAO found in its latest reporton major defence projects.

“Without the establishment of an industry support program, Australian industry may not have been competitive enough to win contracts.”

According to the ANAO report, Australia has spent $12.6B on the F-35 program, with most expenditure flowing to contracts with the US government.

Australian companies have secured more than $5B in contracts linked to the F-35 program, with more than 75 firms involved in manufacturing components or providing sustainment services.

Because the F-35 program operates as a globalised supply chain, components manufactured or serviced in Australia are incorporated across the entire fleet.

This means parts produced locally are used in aircraft operated by multiple countries, including Israel.

In late 2023, the Department of Defence quietly removed details of Australian suppliers in the F-35 program from its website including a 2018 report published by the Department.

Last year, an investigation by Declassified Australia revealed that F-35 components produced in Australia had been shipped directly to Israel on commercial passenger flights, despite repeated government assertions that Australia was not supplying weapons to Israel.

In a follow-up investigation, the outlet reported that many of the parts stored in Australia for the country’s own F-35 fleet are in fact owned and controlled by the United States, with logistics managed by the program’s prime contractor, Lockheed Martin.

This arrangement means Australia does not ultimately control how those parts are allocated. The US can direct that components held in Australia be reassigned and shipped overseas, even where those parts are needed for Australia’s own defence capability.

A UN report has described the F-35 program as “key” to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, with the aircraft

heavily used in the genocidal destruction of Gaza.

The report warned that states supplying components may be engaged in indirect transfers of weapons used in violations of international law.

Shoebridge said the grants reinforced the need for Australia to impose a total arms embargo on Israel, “Given what we know about the crimes committed by the IDF using the F-35, it’s hard to see these as anything other than genocide grants,” he said.

“This data gives fresh impetus to our calls, supported by millions of Australians, to put a total arms embargo on Israel, which includes all weapons and weapons parts.”

MWM sent questions to the Department of Defence, Richard Marles (Minister for Defence) and Pat Conroy (Minister for Defence Industry) regarding whether it was appropriate to continue the F-35 grant program in light of the genocide and due diligence the government has taken to ensure that they are in compliance with international law.

We received no response.

https://michaelwest.com.au/genocide-grants-government-awards-millions-to-f-35-suppliers/

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