Geelong and Genocide – Part 1: Marand Engineering

Geelong is a long way from Gaza, and yet the world is a small place. As it turns out, our small regional Australian city has direct links to the genocide in Palestine. Geelong Anarchist Communists have been researching companies that benefit from the oppression of Palestinians, and will release reports as they are compiled. The first company is Marand, a precision engineering firm based in the old Ford factory.

Marand, Lockheed Martin, the US and Israel

Marand Engineering is a Victorian based defence, aerospace, rail, mining and energy precision engineering firm. ‘Defence’ contracts make up the majority of their business. Marand is a part of the ‘ASDAM’ group, alongside TAE Aerospace, Rosebank Engineering and Levett Engineering . The group is owned by CPE Capital, and identified by the Australian Manufacturing Forum as ‘a manufacturing powerhouse’ for the defence industry’.

Marand do calibration, instrumentation and repairs for F-35 Fighter Planes, produced by Lockheed Martin. Marand is the “sole source of the trailer for the global fleet” for mounting engines in F-35s, and also produces vertical tails for the fighter plane. 

Procurement records indicate that in 2023 alone, Marand supplied the US Department of Defense with US $15.9 million in equipment and calibration services, though records go as far back as 2014. In 2021, the US Department of Defence also purchased at least US $1.8 million of equipment from Levett Engineering, an ASDAM partner of Marand. 

The F-35 Joint Strike Program was established by the United States with the intention of developing a new fighter plane capable of air, ground and strike capabilities. The contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin, and the program includes input by 17 other countries, including Australia and Israel. Essentially, anything that goes to the US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin, goes to the IDF. Although the US fleet has ‘struggled with readiness rates’ in delivering the fighter jets to their own airforce and partners, they have gone into overdrive to supply parts to the IDF during the current conflict. There are also redoubled efforts to get the ‘TR-3’ system of software and hardware updated and functional, making the F35 even more deadly and efficient. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is also participating in the testing and development of the TR-3. Marand is one of more than 70 Australian companies that contribute to the Joint Strike Program.

A Marand spokesperson noted that their involvement in the Joint Strike Program gives them a glimpse into ‘one of the biggest industrial programs that have ever existed’, which speaks to the extent of the US military industrial complex. Marand are also joint beneficiaries of a AU $50 million contract extension with the Australian government and Rheinmetall to build Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles. These are not just for the Australian Defence Force, but include export and sale to Germany. 

Aiding war crimes from Geelong

In local terms, Marand’s head office is based in Melbourne, but they also have an office and production facilities in the old Ford factories in Norlane. The Geelong facility manufactures ‘LANCE digital turrets, hull components and vehicle attachments in Geelong’ for the Boxer armoured vehicle program. The company’s success in aiding and abetting death and destruction was aided by $10 million in grants from the Victorian government in 2012. Marand was recently awarded the Geelong Manufacturing Council 2023 “Innovative Manufacturing in the Geelong Region Award”, suggesting the GMC are impressed with, or at least willing to turn a blind eye to Marand’s contribution to Lockheed Martin’s war crimes.

There is little reason to doubt Marand produced F-35 parts are deployed by the IDF via the Joint Strike Program. Given these parts flow from Australia to the US, and the engine trailer is only developed by Marand, the companies products help make the genocide in Gaza possible. It has recently been revealed that Australia has supplied nearly AU $13 million in arms and ammunitions alone to Israel, plus an unknown figure via 350 permits since 2017. The US has laws around procurement transparency, which allowed us to compile the above statistics regarding Marand. In contrast, Australia does not disclose the details of export permits for military related industries. It is entirely possible there are further connections between Marand and the IDF to be uncovered.

As reported by Amnesty International, the Military Times and numerous other sources, Lockheed Martin is responsible for civilian deaths and their products are regularly used in war crimes not only in Gaza, but all across the world. Guilty by direct association, Marand have blood on their hands.

Article by Tommy L.