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Sydney-based H.I. Fraser and its joint venture partner Issartel have launched a sovereign supply chain qualification program, targeting highly qualified Australian companies for high precision machining, boiler making, welding, surface and heat treatment services for the SEA 1000 Attack Class submarine program.
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Issartel and H.I. Fraser aims to build its Australian sovereign supply chain for hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical systems and services in the framework of the Attack Class submarine program.
To reach this ambitious goal, the company is launching its Sovereign Supply Chain Qualification Program, targeting highly qualified Australian companies for high precision machining, boiler making, welding, surface and heat treatment services.
Chris Williams, managing director of H.I. Fraser, said, “Considering the manufacturing and through-life support activities, we are potentially talking about more than 50 years of business opportunities.”
Through the Attack Class submarine program, Issartel – H.I. Fraser is bringing an opportunity to the Australian supply chain to be involved in a technically unique program.
Vincent Carrié, chief executive of international subsidiaries at Issartel, reinforced Williams' statement, stating, “Together Issartel – H.I. Fraser has more than 60 years’ experience in manufacturing and through-life support services for SSK, SSN and SSBN Submarines. The scope of services to be provided to us is very wide and interesting for the companies that are willing to develop specific skills in a high-tech sector. We’re talking about the opportunity for tens of thousands of items to be manufactured in Australia.”
The sovereign supply chain qualification process will take place in three steps that will be carried out from March to September 2020.
The three steps are as follows:
- Prequalification desktop review of capability;
- Qualification of the quality management system; and
- Technical and industrial capability qualification audit.
The Attack Class submarines will be delivered as part of the $50 billion SEA 1000 Future Submarine program. Naval Group will build 12 regionally-superior submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
Naval Group's successful Shortfin Barracuda design, which serves as the basis for the new Attack Class, is a conventionally-powered variant of the nuclear-powered Barracuda fast attack submarine currently under construction for the French Navy.
Lockheed Martin will provide the AN/BYG-1 Combat control System, which provides an open-architecture submarine combat control system for analysing and tracking submarine and surface-ship contacts, providing situational awareness as well as the capability to target and employ torpedoes and missiles.
The 12 vessels will be built by Naval Group at a specialist submarine shipyard at Osborne, South Australia. The Commonwealth government’s Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) program will support the development of the future submarine shipyards.
The Commonwealth government formally signed the strategic partnering agreement with Naval Group in February 2019 ahead of confirming the final design specifications and requirements for the Attack Class submarines.
The Attack Class will enter service with the Royal Australian Navy at a time when 50 per cent of the world’s submarines will be operating in the Indo-Pacific region.
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.
