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The local defence industry has been invited to support the management of the Royal Australian Navy’s destroyer upgrades under a new sustainment model.
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Defence has opened a tender for a capability life cycle manager of the Hobart Class destroyer fleet as part of its $5.1 billion investment in capability upgrades, to be undertaken at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
Under the new approach to sustainment, which aims to maximise local participation, the successful candidate would be tasked with delivering asset management services and supporting upgrades to the combat management system over the life of the vessels.
The work is tipped to create an estimated 300 jobs in South Australia, building on the Commonwealth government’s broader effort to bolster Australia’s naval capabilities.
Defence is set to host an industry briefing about the new tender on 4 November 2021.
Interested stakeholders will be required to submit tenders by 21 January 2022.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price encouraged Australian industry to take part in the new initiative.
“This model builds on the success of our continuous naval shipbuilding initiative and has been designed to ensure we can continue to deliver complex naval capability at sea that is reliable and fit-for-purpose,” Minister Price said.
“… Once again, the Morrison government is delivering enormous opportunities for Australia’s defence industry, particularly in South Australia.”
The search for a capability life cycle manager for the Hobart Class destroyers follows on from Raytheon’s selection as sustainment manager of the Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels in December 2020.
These projects form part of the Future Maritime Sustainment Model under Plan Galileo — Defence’s new national approach to sustainment.
[Related: Hunter Class frigates hit production milestone]
