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Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price have announced the launch of a new Naval Architecture program at the University of New South Wales, Canberra.
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Australia’s naval shipbuilding capacity will be boosted through a new Naval Architecture program at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra – the new program, which will commence in 2022, follows an agreement between Defence and the UNSW Canberra.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds explained, "This program will enhance our university sector’s ability to support this important industry, by providing world-class education and training to future Navy, Australian Public Service (APS) and defence industry staff."
Once established, each year the Naval Architecture program will see up to 15 Bachelor of Engineering (Naval Architecture) students at UNSW Canberra undertake a specialised stream of courses in their third and fourth year of study.
Naval architecture is a specialist engineering role working at the forefront of high technology areas to design, develop, evaluate and calculate complex data to enable Navy vessels to operate effectively in a range of maritime environments.
Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price added, "Our ambitious shipbuilding plan is creating new jobs and developing new skills, and this program will help ensure we have the right people for those jobs. At ADFA, our future Navy leaders can combine university education and ongoing military training as they begin their careers as officers in the Australian Defence Force and future careers in the maritime industry."
Those interested in a career in naval architecture and who are looking to commence university in 2021 can to enter the specialisation in their third year of study in 2023.
Existing UNSW Canberra students entering their third year of Mechanical Engineering in 2022 will be provided an opportunity to transfer into the specialisation, enabling the Naval Architecture program to graduate its first cohort in 2023.
The Naval Shipbuilding Plan, released on 16 May 2017, outlines the government’s vision for the Australian naval shipbuilding enterprise and the significant investment required in the coming decades.
The plan sets out how government is delivering on its commitment to build a strong, sustainable and innovative Australian naval shipbuilding industry. It provides the foundation for implementing the government’s commitment to the greatest regeneration of our country’s naval capability since the Second World War. At the same time, it will create a long-term, sustainable naval shipbuilding and ship sustainment capability that will serve the nation's strategic and economic interests for many decades.
The goal of the Naval Shipbuilding Plan is to ensure that the regeneration of the Royal Australian Navy over the coming decades will ensure a cost-effective solution for the government and provide Navy the assured capability to fight and win. The National Naval Shipbuilding Office has been established to implement the Naval Shipbuilding Plan.
The 2020 Force Structure Plan builds on government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding, including plans for the acquisition or upgrade of up to 23 different classes of Navy and Army maritime vessels.
This represents a planned investment of $168-$183 billion out to the completion of the Attack Class submarine build in the 2050s.
Detail on opportunities for Australia’s shipbuilding industry arising from the 2020 Force Structure Plan will be included in an update to the Naval Shipbuilding Plan.
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.
