A significant construction milestone in the delivery of one of the nation’s most critical defence infrastructure projects has been reached, with the installation of four giant aircraft hangar doors at the Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility (DMMF) at Edinburgh.

The doors, each wide enough to allow a Boeing 737 to pass through, mark the completion of the external structure of the facility, clearing the way for the completion of the internal fit-out of the building.

Once operational, the facility is set to strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capability, providing on-shore maintenance and modification support for the Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet of RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and RAAF E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

Earlier this year, it was announced the facility was also intended to support the maintenance of New Zealand’s P-8A Poseidon fleet and the United States Navy’s MQ-4C Triton aircraft.

Development Director of Industrial and Defence Projects at Renewal SA, Tim Tape, said the installation of the doors was a logistical success and major milestone for Renewal SA and construction partner BESIX Watpac.

“These doors are absolutely huge and have travelled a very long way to get here,” Mr Tape said.

“Transporting the pieces, installing them and finally locking up this incredible facility has been a big logistical effort. We’re pleased to reach another exciting milestone.”

Spanning 48 metres wide, the doors are made of six individual panels assembled to create a stacking structure. Each panel is eight metres wide and 14.5 metres tall, weighing four tonnes.

Mark Baker, BESIX Watpac Chief Executive Officer said he was pleased with the progress his team was making in collaboration with the State Government to deliver a mission-critical asset.

“In partnership with Renewal SA, the BESIX Watpac team continues to make strong progress on building the Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility, and we’re pleased to have completed the installation of these large bespoke hangar doors, a complex phase delivered through exceptional planning and a united team effort,” Mr Baker said.

Adjoining RAAF Base Edinburgh, construction of the facility began in August 2024 and is targeting construction completion in mid-2026. When operations commence, aircraft will arrive at the adjoining RAAF Base Edinburgh, taxi to a nearby defueling station, then be towed to the DMMF for a significant schedule of modification programs.

Mr Tape, who has led the DMMF project since construction began last year, said progress is exceeding expectations.

“We’re actually ahead of schedule, which for a building of this scale is really quite remarkable,” he said.

“I am confident this project will send a strong signal to the defence industry that Renewal SA, and South Australia more broadly is primed and ready to support the expansion of Australia’s defence future.”

The DMMF project is expected to deliver 450 jobs during the construction phase and once complete, will bring 50 new highly skilled defence industry jobs online in advanced aircraft maintenance, engineering, avionics and logistics.

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Photo: Artist impression of the DMMF at Edinburgh.