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The Australian government has announced that construction of the Australian Army’s Landing Craft Heavy is now underway and on schedule with steel cut on the first vessels late last month.
Construction in Western Australia of landing craft vessels is reportedly now progressing to a new phase.
The Australian Government has awarded over $5 billion in contracts to deliver 18 Landing Craft Medium and eight Landing Craft Heavy for Army, a project that has already boosted employment and local economic activity.
The project is expected to create 1,100 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect jobs in Western Australia and directly support the Government’s commitment to continuous shipbuilding in the state.
Capable of transporting combined-arms land systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Abrams main battle tanks, and reconnaissance and infantry fighting vehicles, the vessels will strengthen the Australian Defence Force’s ability to hold potential adversaries at risk and secure strategic terrain.
“Progress in constructing Army's landing craft fleet marks the transition from design into delivery and an important step in building a critical capability for the Australian Defence Force,” according to Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
“As construction activity ramps up, we are creating thousands of jobs for locals, providing businesses the confidence they need to invest and grow their workforce.
“These two landing craft projects are critical to the Albanese Government’s continuous shipbuilding plan for WA, which is providing job security for generations to come, and making Australians safer.”
This significant progress demonstrates the Albanese Government's commitment to delivering Army's future littoral fleet, while advancing the priorities of the National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program, strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence industrial base, and creating skilled employment.
In a further boost to Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding capability, the Albanese Government’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) last month announced a $245 million loan to Austal Defence Shipbuilding Australia Pty Ltd to support the construction and fit out of Landing Craft Heavy facilities within the Australian Marine Complex.
“Western Australian businesses are playing a central role in the future of the Australian Army,” according to WA Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Amber-Jade Sanderson.
“Local operator Austal is showing the impressive capability of our State’s growing defence industry, with construction of the first landing craft well underway as part of our commitment to bring continuous naval shipbuilding to WA.
“Projects like these create quality local jobs, support our sovereign capability and help to diversify our economy for the future.”
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