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ASC has welcomed permanent representatives from Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) prime contractor Lürssen to the Osborne shipyards ahead of the start of fabrication of the first OPV.
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Winning designer-prime Lürssen selected ASC as the shipbuilder for the first two OPVs. The project will see several hundred jobs added across shipbuilding in South Australia in the next two years.
On completion of the first two vessels, the project will move to Western Australia for construction of the 10 further OPVs, making way for the start of the Future Frigate program at Osborne shipyards from 2020.
Tim Wagner, managing director of Lürssen Defence and director of Lürssen Australia said, "The arrival of our employees in Adelaide in addition to the teams in Henderson and Germany is an important milestone for Lürssen and the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) project."
The first Lürssen staff include five engineers and structural, mechanical and quality fields and arrived in Osborne earlier this month. ASC’s OPV project team, which will work closely with the Lürssen team, currently numbers approximately 15, recruited internally and made up of experienced project planners, engineers, quality staff and production personnel.
ASC Shipbuilding general manager, shipbuilding Schemko Bialek said, "the arrival of the Lürssen staff is an important part of preparing for production on the first OPV in November 2018. The growing ASC OPV project team at Osborne looks forward to working closely with the Lürssen team to ensure a successful start of production."
SEA 1180 Phase 1 OPVs will replace and improve upon the capability delivered by the 13 Armidale Class Patrol Boats, by acquiring 12 new vessels. The primary role of the OPV will be to undertake constabulary missions and the OPV will be the primary ADF asset for maritime patrol and response duties. A competitive evaluation process (CEP) commenced in late 2015 and concluded with the signing of a contract with Lürssen Australia on 31 January 2018.
ASC serves Australia's naval defence capabilities, with more than 2,500 employees across three facilities in South Australia and Western Australia. ASC has evolved into Australia's largest specialised defence shipbuilding organisation, with naval design and engineering resources unparalleled within Australia's defence industry.
Initially established in 1985, ASC was subsequently chosen in 1987 as the prime contractor for the design, manufacture and delivery of the Royal Australian Navy's fleet of Collins Class submarines.
In 2005, ASC was awarded the role of shipbuilder for the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer project. These are the most advanced and complex warships ever built in Australia and are being constructed at ASC's state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility, ASC South, located at Osborne, South Australia.
Under the $35-billion SEA 5000 project, ASC will become a subsidiary of BAE Systems to deliver the Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigates to the Royal Australian Navy.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
