Navy advances naval engineering skills in Deakin University challenge

The NEC involved a range of aspects, such as integrated design mechanics, control and remote systems, and wider technological understanding exercises.

“Part of the challenge is to assist Navy’s engineering training in adapting to emerging technologies such as robotics, 3D printing and advanced manufacturing techniques,” said Professor Bill Sowry, Deakin University chair in defence innovation and a former Army brigadier.

“The aim is to enable Navy engineers to innovate on the run, in time- and supply chain-constrained environments.

“The Navy technicians working with us bring a far better understanding of what needs to be done, and how it can be done, in a way that is implementable on a ship.”

Personnel from HMAS Cerberus, Fleet Support Units South-East and West, and Navy Engineering worked across two teams in the five-day challenge.

This was a deliberate choice intended to allow people from a range of backgrounds, skills and expertise to share their knowledge and learn new approaches to critical naval problems.

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In turn, this will allow for an integrated response and increase the interoperability of multiple units in the event of a legitimate war-time situation.

“We had combined teams of marine and electrical technicians drawing on all of their skills while simultaneously introducing them to new ones,” said NEC manager Captain Andrew Downie.

“The teams demonstrated an impressive ability to rapidly absorb new information and apply it directly to the challenge, translating learning into functional and innovative solutions within a tight time frame.”