Australian Defence Industries Pty Ltd
ADI · ADI Limited
May 1989 – 1999
Commonwealth-owned defence manufacturing company that ran the former government small arms, ammunition, explosives, ordnance and clothing factories and later took on naval shipbuilding and repair, including the Huon-class minehunters, until it was privatised.
How it came into existence
Began operating in May 1989 as a Commonwealth company formed to take over the factories and establishments of the Office of Defence Production in the Department of Defence, including the Small Arms Factory at Lithgow and the munitions factories at Mulwala, Benalla, Bendigo and Maribyrnong.
- Operation of government munitions, explosives and clothing factories
- Small arms manufacture at Lithgow
- Manufacture of military uniforms and clothing
- Cordite and explosives manufacture at Maribyrnong
- Ordnance and gun-ammunition manufacture at Maribyrnong
- Small-arms ammunition manufacture at Footscray
- Ordnance and heavy engineering at Bendigo
- Munitions filling at St Marys
- Propellant and explosives manufacture at Mulwala
How it ended
Privatised in 1999 when the Commonwealth sold the company, by then ADI Limited, to a consortium of Transfield and Thomson-CSF; Thomson-CSF (later Thales) became sole owner and renamed it Thales Australia in 2006.
Main functions
- Small arms and weapons manufacture
- Ammunition and explosives production
- Military clothing and equipment manufacture
- Naval shipbuilding, refit and repair
- Defence engineering and systems support
Where it sits
Last in the portfolio of Department of Defence.
Lineage
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Sources
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.