Australia, AUKUS and the Pursuit of Defense Jobs.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTES

GEELONG, Australia--The announcement that the Australian government had finalized a deal to purchase 29 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from U.S. aviation giant Boeing brought the nation's Minister of Defence Industry Pat Conroy to Avalon--The Australian Air Show--for a photo opportunity and the chance to tally some more jobs in the nation's favor.

The headline wasn't the acquisition of the helicopter, but the fact that for the first time, Australian contractors would be joining the program's supply chain by providing parts.

The deal "is all about driving opportunities for Australian companies into the supply chain for both the acquisition of the helicopters and the sustainment of them," he said, standing in front of cameras with a Romeo model of the Apache in the background.

Yes, he did also mention the fact that the Apache would make the nation's army more "capable," and later said ensuring that the Australian Defence Force had the best equipment when needed was his no. 1 job.

Making Australia's defense industry robust enough to where it could be considered an arms exporter rather than primarily an importer has been a policy in place for some seven years and has coincided with big boosts in the nation's defense funding. It is also seeking "sovereign" capabilities in areas such as space, so it doesn't have to depend on partners such as the United States for launches and satellite communications.

The oft-quoted number at this year's air show was 100,000. That's roughly the number of Australians employed by the nation's defense industry. It seemed to be on the tip of every politician and company executive's tongue.

Conroy touted the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle as an Australian success story.

The vehicle is exported to eight foreign customers and nearly 2,000 have been built.

As for the Apache, four Australian suppliers will now be part of the program.

Kathleen Jolivette, vice president and general manager of Boeing vertical lift, joined the media event and welcomed the four Australian suppliers who will now be part of every Apache built or refurbished going forward. "By partnering with the Australian government and investing in local businesses, including small and medium enterprises, this agreement will help create jobs, develop Australia's aerospace and manufacturing capability and grow the local economy," she said in a statement.

For every winner, there is a loser. I asked Boeing later if the gain in Australian jobs was a net...