Babcock opens new Adelaide facility, ready for AUKUS work

Defence engineering services group Babcock Australasia has opened a new cutting-edge facility, that will see its Adelaide maintenance, manufacturing and repair footprint double in support of critical army and navy programmes.

The $31 million building will be home to more than 100 Babcock engineers and technical experts working across nationally significant defence programmes including:

• Collins Class in-service sustainment and future https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/babcocks-31-million-hq-readies-for-aukus-work (LOTE) support
• Systems on the Hunter Class Frigates
• Counter Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (C-CBRNE) asset management
• And future AUKUS endeavours.

The Woodville North facility features a 4,000m2 custom-built manufacturing workshop and warehouse, equipped with technology to increase operational throughput, along with 2,000m2 of office space.

The environmentally green building replaces Babcock’s operations at Osborne and has been designed to enable future expansion to cater for the needs of Australia’s submarine programmes, including AUKUS Pillar 1 and 2.

The opening of the high-tech facility provides additional space to engineer, assemble and test equipment under simulated conditions.

Babcock’s Collins Class delivery team will conduct deep maintenance on several of the fleet’s key systems from the new specialist facility, along with future LOTE modernisation packages as part of its partnership with ASC.

Babcock Australasia CEO Andrew Cridland said: “This cutting-edge facility underpins our commitment to our Defence customers by positioning us at the forefront of national defence capabilities.

“The additional space means we can scale up our sustainment output on the Collins Class fleet, deliver Life of Type Extension projects, and provide a critical pathway to AUKUS by ensuring these submarines remain operational until the first of the nuclear-powered submarines hit the water.”

The building features a 99 kilowatts rooftop solar array, ground water harvesting, electric vehicle changing stations, energy-saving lighting and end of trip facilities.

Further reading:
Babcock’s $31 million HQ readies for AUKUS work

Picture: Babcock Australasia