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Navantia Australia has been engaged by the Commonwealth of Australia as the platform systems designer as part of its securing the DDG platform systems design contract.
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This contract award is part of the SEA4000 Phase 6 Hobart Class guided missile destroyer combat systems upgrade as part of the Destroyer Capability Enhancement (DCE) program, incorporating the upgrade to Aegis Baseline 9 under the SEA4000 Phase 6 project.
Navantia Australia’s managing director, Israel Lozano, said that the engagement as the platform systems designer is a major achievement for the company and will drive significant growth.
“The DCE will see the creation of up to 40 full-time design and engineering jobs with Navantia Australia in the fields of combat systems interface into the platform, naval architecture, outfitting, electrical, mechanical, structures, design drafting and systems engineering,” Lozano explained.
The Destroyer Capability Enhancement program is a major upgrade to the Hobart Class guided missile destroyers and will require significant industrial resources and collaboration from key industry partners, including Navantia Australia, Lockheed Martin Australia, Saab Australia and BAE Systems Australia, working with Defence.
Mr Lozano added: “All of the platform design and engineering work is being performed in Australia by Navantia Australia personnel, located in either Navantia’s Naval Design and Engineering Centre in Docklands, Melbourne or in Navantia Australia’s offices in Sydney.”
Navantia Australia will support and work closely with the Combat System Integration – Integrated Project Team (CSI-IPT) under the recently signed CSI Collaboration Agreement (CCA) for the integration of combat system elements in the Hobart Class guided missile destroyers.
Lockheed Martin Australia’s vice-president of operations rotary and mission systems Australia and New Zealand, Steve Froelich, welcomed ongoing collaboration with Australian industry to deliver on the Commonwealth’s rolling wave of upgrades to Australia’s maritime integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) capability.
“As the manufacturer of Aegis and the Royal Australian Navy’s steward of Aegis capability, we are honoured to integrate, deliver and sustain this world-class maritime capability that safeguards Australia. For over 20 years, we have worked hand-in-glove with Navantia to successfully integrate the Aegis Weapon System into multiple classes of frigates around the world as well as test and validate the Aegis capability to deliver an unmatched IAMD capability edge to our customers.”
Froelich added: “We look forward to working with Navantia, Saab Australia, and Australian small-to-medium enterprises to bring the latest Aegis capabilities to the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Hobart Class guided missile destroyers.”
These comments were reinforced by Saab Australia managing director Andy Keough CSC, who welcomed the opportunity to continue to work with Navantia through the CSI-IPT in the integration of the sovereign-developed Australian Interface with Aegis into the RAN’s Hobart Class destroyer.
“As a participant in the CCA with Lockheed Martin and the Commonwealth of Australia’s major surface combatants, we are privileged to cooperate with Navantia, in this upgrade to the Hobart Class and look forward to the integration, delivery and sustainment of this capability with our partners,” Mr Keough said.
Navantia Australia will perform the platform systems designer role for the modernisation of the combat system, including the development and coordination of the design aspects of the platform system; development of the ship installation design products, including the ship’s engineering drawings and ship alterations packages; and related engineering change artefacts, ensuring coherence in the platform requirements baseline.
