Serco tunes up Oboe for landing craft need

The Australian Maritime Alliance (AMA) has reviewed all aspects of its proposal to meet the Australian Defence Force’s needs for medium duty landing craft to ensure the group remained ready to deliver the critical programme for Australia.

The AMA, made up of engineering group and shipbuilder Civmec, and defence services company Serco, looked at AMA’s design, build, and commissioning and service introduction plans for its Oboe design for the Army’s Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel-Medium (LMV-M) programme (pictured).

According to a statement, the review was to ensure that its industry team and Henderson, Perth-based construction infrastructure were ready to deliver its design in line with Army requirements.

Serco Defence Managing Director Clint Thomas said the AMA’s review reinforced the view that the Oboe design presented as the mission-ready platform for the Army.

Thomas said: “Drawing on a parent offshore design that has been operating in the Gulf of Mexico for more than 20 years, the AMA is confident that the sea keeping performance, speed and range of Oboe will prove itself a transformational capability to enable Army optimises for littoral manoeuvre operations.”

Oboe’s 200m2 vehicle deck, dual ramp configuration and hull form are ready to lift all of the Army’s current and planned future combat vehicle fleet, including LAND 8113 HIMARS and LAND 19 Phase 7B SHORAD Battery Vehicles, he said.

“Oboe’s through-deck design, generous crew accommodations, organic cranage, and simple but robust bridge and propulsion systems mean the vessel is self-deployable and self-sustaining in the many different ports and operating areas across Australia’s north and throughout the Southwest Pacific.”

Serco has delivered 130 vessels while Civmec constructed a purpose-built assembly and maintenance hall at Henderson in 2019 where it is buildive offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Royal Australian Navy.

Thomas said: “From an industry perspective, the AMA’s ability to support the Defence Strategic Review’s recommendation to accelerate and expand the Land 8710 program, including Phase 2 – Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel (Heavy), remains unrivalled.

“With Civmec’s unmatched Henderson facility and workforce offering an immediate infrastructure pathway with enormous capacity, their proven capabilities enable the AMA to bring a unique surge capability to assist the Army in synchronising the delivery of LAND 8710, alongside its sister programs LAND 8113 Long Range Fires and LAND 400 Phase 3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles.”

Picture: Serco’s ‘Oboe’ LMV-M Design