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Western Australia-based and majority Indigenous-owned company Tammar Contractors has been appointed to provide yard services for the Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel Program.
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Tammar Contractors, headed by former WA footballer Larry Kickett and BRE Engineering managing director Simon Brennan, will act as a local supplier and provide a team of riggers and support staff to work on the OPV Program in Henderson, Western Australia.
The appointment was made by prime shipbuilding contractor Luerssen Australia and announced on 17 October.
Tammar Contractors director Larry Kickett said he was thrilled to be joining forces with Luerssen Australia.
“We are very happy to be teaming up with Luerssen Australia on the OPV Program and we look forward to working collaboratively to grow our capabilities and contribute to the shipbuilding sector in WA,” he said.
In total, Luerssen Australia will deliver 12 offshore patrol vessels to the Royal Australian Navy with the first two vessels previously constructed at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and the remaining vessels constructed at Henderson Maritime Precinct in Western Australia.
The OPV Program has already achieved a 63 percent Australian Industry Content percentage and is understood to be seeking a further increase supplied by WA-owned small and medium-sized enterprises.
Luerssen Australia chief executive officer Jens Nielsen said it’s another win for local businesses wanting to get involved in the defence industry.
“We are extremely proud to be engaging more and more local suppliers on the OPV Program, and we are happy to be working with Tammar Contractors, a registered First Nations supplier,” he said.
“Luerssen Australia is an Australian company, employing Australian workers, in Australian shipyards, using Australian steel to build Royal Australian Navy vessels.”
Luerssen Australia’s focus on growing the local supply chain is providing opportunities to grow and improve their capabilities, he said.
Luerssen Australia sees a very bright future for the industry and is committed to investing for the long term, while drawing on almost 150 years of shipbuilding and sustainment knowledge to support the development of a sovereign naval shipbuilding capability in Australia, according to Nielsen.
Earlier this year, Lürssen chief executive officer and managing partner Peter Lürssen announced his intention to pitch an overall consolidated plan for the Henderson shipbuilding district in Western Australia.
He also said the company would likely offer a C90 corvette to the Australian Defence Force, following Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels being built in Adelaide, South Australia and in Perth, Western Australia.
