Tamworth Regional Council business and events director John Sommerlad said there had been a delay with the decision on Project Air 5428.

“We have been advised by BAE Systems that they’ve been notified the decision is delayed to the first quarter of next year,” he said.

“Their take on that is Defence has some other priorities and the recommendation, I imagine, would have to be scrutinised from within the government. With parliament now in recess, the people who are needed as part of that process, are back in their electorates doing what they do. That’s our take on it, anyway.” 

The contract would be worth $2 billion over 25 years.

BAE Systems Tamworth program manager Pierre Steyn said he had no firm indications of an exact time frame as yet.

Mr Sommerlad said it was interesting that BAE Systems had recently secured the pilot training contract for the British Armed Forces using the Texan aircraft, which they’re proposing to use here.

The NZ Air Force has also taken delivery of the same aircraft for the training of their pilots.

It is believed the competition for BAE Systems comes from ‘Team 21’, which is a grouping of Lockheed Martin Australia, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific, based around the Pilatus PC-21 advanced trainer based at RAAF Pearce in Perth and Hawker Pacific have operations at East Sale.

The NSW Government has backed BAE Systems’ bid in Tamworth and the Victorian Government has backed the East Sale bid.