National shipbuilding effort unites as companies deliver parts for new Hunter frigates

Continuous naval shipbuilding has been part of Australia’s manufacturing landscape for just over five years, yet its imprint on the nation is already profound. Much of this activity revolves around the growing Osborne Naval Shipyard precinct, where a workforce of more than 2000 employees is working on the first Hunter-class frigate, with more than 60 per cent of the ship now in production.J

Just metres from the Hunter blocks, a further 600 employees are working on the upgrade of Hobart-class destroyer HMAS HOBART. The upgrade is progressing rapidly ahead of its return to sea this year, fit for combat-system trials. Further north, along LeFevre Peninsula, construction of the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine shipyard is also well under way.

South Australian industry has met the challenge that comes with these major programs operating in its backyard. As Hunter production ramps up, local companies such as Century Engineering and Shadbolt Group are manufacturing elements of Ship 1 within their own facilities.And this type of effort extends well beyond South Australia as companies in every state and territory deliver into the nation’s biggest shipbuilding program. 

Businesses such as Rohde & Schwarz in NSW, Liferaft Systems Australia in Tasmania and Craig International Ballistics in Queensland have secured contracts to supply into the Hunter program, with the quality of their products and services recognised globally.As shipbuilding activity gathers momentum in Western Australia, we are seeing companies such as Hofmann Engineering also step up and take leadership roles as a key supplier for the Hunter build, manufacturing the sonar dome sole plates for the first three frigates. Measuring 13m long and weighing more than 18 tonnes, the sonar dome sole plate is a highly complex piece of equipment that forms part of the bow sonar and a section of the hull structure.Requiring precise machining, the first plate has already been completed and delivered to the Osborne shipyard. 

BAE Systems’ Henderson shipyard, south of Fremantle, is also playing a key role in driving production for the Hunter program.With a long legacy in maritime defence programs, Henderson has been a key enabler for the Royal Australian Navy as the sustainment home of the Anzac-class frigate fleet, working tirelessly for navy over several decades.Henderson is now evolving to meet the needs and challenges of an ever-changing maritime defence landscape. 

Four hull units are currently being manufactured for the Hunter First of Class. These will house crew accommodation, marine evacuation systems, medical spaces and one will also feature a recreation room. Masts for each Hunter ship are also under development at the Henderson site.With aluminium fabrication prototyping now nearing completion, the Hunter Proof-of-Concept Mast Project will conclude with radar panel machining prototyping and transition into the manufacturing of the first three ship’s production masts.

The Henderson workforce brings a wealth of experience and in particular aluminium fabrication expertise to the Hunter program, and the business is providing training opportunities for individuals to develop new skills and further their careers within the defence industry.This focus, and the commonwealth’s commitment to growing shipbuilding capability in locations such as Henderson, bodes well for the future of continuous naval shipbuilding as companies across the nation commit to a future supporting sovereign naval capability.

Source : The Australian      David Shepherd