# Australian defense procurement and capability upgrades > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/australian-defense-procurement-and-capability-upgrades > Updated: 2026-09-09T02:53:02.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Australia is executing several major defense procurement and infrastructure projects. In the naval sector, Lloyd’s Register secured an A$11 million contract from Austal Defence Australia to provide classification, quality, and assurance services for the construction of 18 Landing Craft Medium vessels. This work is part of a larger A$1.029 billion program under the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement. In air defense, the Australian Government announced a A$2.4 billion investment into Tranche 2B of Project Air 6500, the Joint Air Battle Management System. Lockheed Martin Australia was awarded a A$1.32 billion contract to lead this phase, which focuses on enhancing command and control, communications, and cybersecurity to create a unified view of the battlespace. The project is expected to expand Lockheed Martin’s local engineering workforce to over 400 personnel. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-09: Lockheed Martin awarded A$1.32bn Australian air defence contract Australia is investing A$2.4 billion into Project Air 6500, awarding Lockheed Martin Australia a A$1.32 billion contract to enhance its joint air battle management and missile defence capabilities. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lockheed-martin-awarded-a132bn-australian-air-defence-contract ### 2026-08-27: Lloyd’s Register secures A$11m contract for Australian Army landing craft Lloyd’s Register has won an A$11 million contract from Austal Defence Australia to provide classification services for the Australian Army’s 18-vessel Landing Craft Medium program. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lloyds-register-secures-a11m-contract-for-australian-army-landing-craft --- Cite as: Australian defense procurement and capability upgrades. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/australian-defense-procurement-and-capability-upgrades