By Peter Roberts Korea’s Hanwha defence group has abandoned its takeover bid for Australia’s most successful indigenous owned defence manufacturer Austal, according to media reports this morning. The takeover was ended in a letter to Austal from Hanwha Ocean CEO Hyek Woong Kwon titled ‘Termination of discussions with Austal’. The company blamed Austal’s ‘insistence’ that…
The federal government has announced a new Jobs for Subs programme for 200 young workers required for the maintenance of US and UK nuclear submarines in Perth under Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-W). The Nuclear-Powered Submarine Graduate, Apprenticeship and Traineeship initiative is a government-funded recruitment and upskilling program for graduates, apprentices and trainees within…
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have signed an agreement in Washington (pictured) clearing the way for Australia’s import of Virginia class nuclear submarines. The agreement for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion was tabled in federal parliament today. The agreement also enables the import of equipment for the later construction at the…
The first cohort of skilled submarine workers from ASC have departed for Pearl Harbor in the United States to receive training in the sustainment of nuclear powered submarines. Around 30 skilled ASC Pty Ltd workers are the first to deploy to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard to learn maintenance of US Virginia class nuclear‑powered submarines…
The federal government has announced the go ahead for the life-of-type extension programme for the Collins class submarine fleet, extending their life until the arrival of Virginia class nuclear powered submarines. HMAS Farncomb will be the first of the Collins class submarines to undergo sustainment and capability enhancement at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide…
The federal government has announced Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) and an AECOM and Aurecon Joint Venture as the concept design partners for South Australia’s new nuclear-powered submarine construction yard (NPSCY). KBR has extensive experience in supporting design and project management for defence infrastructure facilities and will design the area of the NPSCY that will…
By Peter Roberts Relations between workers and management at submarine builder ASC have sunk even lower with members of the trade unions on the site unanimously issuing a vote of no confidence in the CEO’s leadership. Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) SA Assistant State Secretary Stuart Gordon said around 300 members across the AMWU, AWU…
Linda Dobe appointed D-D of Queensland Manufacturing department The Queensland government has announced the appointment of three new Directors-General, each with a wealth of experience, to lead key departments. The appointments include: Linda Dobe as Director-General for the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water (DRDMW), Peter McKay as Director-General of the Department of Employment,…
Armour steel manufacturer Bisalloy Steel has broken into the US military shipbuilding market, snaring a purchase order for processed Australian steel from Newport News Shipbuilding. Newport News is a division of HII, the largest military shipbuilder in the US and one of two US companies that designs and builds nuclear-powered submarines. Bisalloy, which processes steel…
By Peter Roberts The decision that BAE Systems Australia and ASC Pty Ltd are to build SSN‑AUKUS submarines in Adelaide promises to return government-owned ASC closer to the role originally intended when then defence minister Kim Beazley established the ASC to build the Collins Class submarine. The company, which will now also sustain Virginia and…
