Scotland Office’s Post

South Australia obviously 'on notice' and WA the big winner in the shipbuilding shakeout. Despite the political nuancing there is no doubt the Commonwealth and its advisers have grave misgivings over the long-confirmed inability of South Australia to get its ship and submarine building act together and these decisions represent prudent risk management. With the delivery of the last of the 6 planned Hunter class Frigates pushed out to an unfriggin believable 2043 it has to be speculated that by the early 2030s the outstanding balance of these unfathomably costly ships will be cancelled. Henderson WA are obviously the big winners in this announcement, the Albanese Government delivering on its commitment to establishing a continuous naval shipbuilding program, securing the future of naval shipbuilding jobs at the Henderson complex for decades to come. Consolidation of the Henderson precinct is currently underway, as recommended by the Defence Strategic Review. Successful and timely consolidation will enable eight new general purpose frigates to be built at the Henderson precinct, and will also enable a pathway to build six new Large Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels in Western Australia. This is in addition to the strategic shipbuilder pilot which will see Army’s Landing Craft Medium and Heavy (Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels), as well as the decision to acquire two new Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boats, all of which will be built at Henderson by Austal. These projects will create at least 1,200 new local jobs over the next decade.

The Royal Australian Navy’s Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) programme will use ships based on the design of Damen Shipyards Group's LST100 vessel. #defence #royalaustraliannavy #australia #LCH #LST #Austal #littoral #NavyLeaders Read more here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eWVtSEKC

The Australian Government has selected a design by Damen Shipyards Group as the preferred option for the Australian Defence Force’s Landing Craft Heavy under a program that will bolster national defence by establishing a new littoral fleet. The Damen Shipyards Group’s Landing Ship Transport 100 (LST100) will provide a capability which is essential to the restructure and re-posture of the Army. The vessels, along with Landing Craft Medium and amphibious vehicles, will support a strategy of denial which includes deploying and sustaining land forces with long-range land and maritime strike capabilities in littoral environments. Eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels, based on the LST100, will be built by Australian shipbuilder Austal at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia, subject to acceptable commercial negotiations and demonstrated performance. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said “This project is an important part of our plans for continuous naval shipbuilding in both South Australia and Western Australia, which is creating thousands of well-paid and high-skilled jobs.” See https://lnkd.in/gdEt3-vq #AUKUS Michael Sharpe

#GoodDayatSea   #dandcrewing #crewing #crew #maritime #seafarers #shipping #maritimetransport Australia Signs $1.4 Bln Deal To Upgrade Navy Submarines Australia said on Saturday it had signed a A$2.2 billion ($1.4 billion) four-year contract with state-owned submarine builder ASC to upgrade the navy’s Collins class submarines. The “sustainment contract” is part of a government pledge to keep the diesel-electric powered Collins-class fleet “a potent strike and deterrence capability”, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in a statement. The contract will be “directly ensuring job security for more than 1,100 highly skilled workers”, with the work carried out in the towns of Henderson in Western Australia and Osborne in South Australia, Conroy said. Osborne is where ASC and Britain’s BAE Systems will jointly build Australia’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the core component of the 2021 AUKUS pact between Britain, the U.S. and Australia. Until that work begins later this decade, the shipyard is where much of the maintenance is performed on the existing Collins-class fleet. Conroy said it was part of the centre-left government’s A$4 to A$5 billion commitment to the submarines, which are planned to operate into the 2040s. ($1 = 1.5272 Australian dollars)

The new Combat Support Ship Den Helder has been on its sea trials, carrying out a whole array of Sea Acceptance Tests (SATs) as part of its sea trials. Our team of Damen commissioners and engineers has been working with Commando Materieel en IT (COMMIT) and the Koninklijke Marine crew to test the ship’s systems and equipment. This has included the fire extinguish systems (FiFi foam) to ensure there is adequate foam coverage in case of emergencies. CSS Den Helder is one of the the first Royal Netherlands Navy vessel to carry fluor-free, biodegradable foam that is effective in emergency situations and causes no harm to the environment.   The 178.5 metre vessel is travelling from Damen Shipyards Galaţi in Romania to to our yard in Vlissingen, where it is due to arrive mid-December.   #shipbuiding #CombatSupportShip #naval #DamenNaval

Government’s latest defence acquisition – ‘landing craft heavy’ The federal government has continued a run of announcements of major defence acquisitions, selecting a design by Damen Shipyards Group as the preferred option for the Australian Defence Force’s Landing Craft Heavy vessel (pictured). The announcement is a step in the establishment of a littoral fleet which is expected to create 1,100 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect jobs through continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia, where the ships will be built by Austal. The National Defence Strategy emphasised a transformation of the Australian Army to one focused on littoral or inshore manoeuvre and long-range strike. #defenceindustry #manufacturing #shipbuilding @austal https://lnkd.in/giTW-Tbg

Here we go again as Australia's Defence Department, which is routinely accused of being overly secretive and lacking transparency in comparison to foreign counterparts, has strictly forbidden the five commercial competitors from publicly discussing their GPF offerings. North Asian rivals South Korea and Japan are emerging as the early favourites in a multi-billion-dollar competition to build Australia's new fleet of light frigates as the Albanese government prepares to select its preferred designs as early as this week. Five shipbuilders from four separate countries have been asked to submit proposals for a fleet of up to 11 new general purpose frigates (GPF), which will begin to replace the navy's older Anzac-class warships in a project totalling well over $11 billion. The companies vying for the massive SEA 3000 project are Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) from South Korea, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Under the GPF program, the initial three Australians vessels would be built overseas, with the first delivered by 2029, and then construction would be transferred to the Henderson shipyard outside Perth. https://lnkd.in/gWbWxDj4

This announcement is a significant step in the establishment of a littoral fleet which is expected to create 1,100 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect jobs under the Albanese Government’s plan for continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia. The Government has prioritised the acquisition of new littoral manoeuvre capabilities and infrastructure to meet the aims of the National Defence Strategy. Today’s announcement is the next stage in the transformation of the Australian Army to one focused on littoral manoeuvre and long-range strike. The Damen Shipyards Group’s Landing Ship Transport 100 (LST100) will provide a capability which is essential to the restructure and re-posture of the Army. The vessels, along with Landing Craft Medium and amphibious vehicles, will support a strategy of denial which includes deploying and sustaining land forces with long-range land and maritime strike capabilities in littoral environments. Eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels, based on the LST100, will be built by Australian shipbuilder Austal at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia, subject to acceptable commercial negotiations and demonstrated performance.  The LST100 vessel design has a 3,900-tonne displacement, is 100 meters long and 16 meters wide. It will be capable of operating with other vessels to undertake a range of tasks including troop insertion and extraction, logistics movements and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. https://lnkd.in/gCh4iCvH

The federal government has continued a run of announcements of major defence acquisitions, selecting a design by Damen Shipyards Group as the preferred option for the Australian Defence Force’s Landing Craft Heavy vessel (pictured). The announcement is a step in the establishment of a littoral fleet which is expected to create 1,100 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect jobs through continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia, where the ships will be built by Austal. #manufacturing #australianmanufacturing Defence Australia #defence #defenceindustry

🔧 Breaking News: HMAS Stalwart Undergoing Repairs 🔧 Recently, the HMAS Stalwart, a vital supply ship for the Royal Australian Navy, experienced a significant breakdown and is currently undergoing critical repairs. This incident has highlighted the essential need for robust maintenance and timely repair services to ensure the operational readiness of naval vessels. At AIS Marine, we understand the complexities involved in such high-stakes repairs. The breakdown of the HMAS Stalwart is a stark reminder of how crucial it is to maintain rigorous maintenance schedules and have rapid response mechanisms in place. Such incidents can be caused by a variety of issues, including mechanical failures, corrosion, and system malfunctions, all of which need precise diagnostic tools and expert handling to resolve. Our Approach to Similar Repairs: 1. Initial Assessment: Our team conducts a thorough examination to identify the root cause of the breakdown. 2. Advanced Diagnostics: We use state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to pinpoint the exact issues, preventing future occurrences. 3. Tailored Repair Solutions: We develop a customized repair plan that addresses the immediate problem and enhances overall system performance. 4. Quality Assurance: We implement stringent quality checks to ensure repairs meet the highest industry standards. 5. Preventive Maintenance: We offer ongoing maintenance programs to keep your vessels operational and reduce the likelihood of future breakdowns. Reach out to us today and find out how we can save your day from any critical issues! #AISMarine #ShipRepair #OperationalReadiness #PreventiveMaintenance #Navy https://lnkd.in/g6sCRdgw