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At the end of 2012, then Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and then Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced a new facility for testing submarine systems, including propulsion, energy and integration technology, would be based in Adelaide. Fast forward and industry is helping the Sea 1000 program office bring the facility requirements together.

The capability, known as Submarine Propulsion Energy, Support and Integration Facility (SPESIFy), will have a focus on research and development, system integration testing, pre-build and assembly testing and training.

Six months before the announcement was made, the Commonwealth has engaged the services of Babcock to look into land based test site options. What was the international community up to on this front? What needed to be the focus in the Australian context? How do we best make use of the knowledge and facilities we already have?

Babcock drew on its own extensive experience base with its own knowledge of submarine land based propulsion and energy, test, integration and support systems predominantly based on its UK business.

In addition Babcock assembled a strong team of international companies with specific expertise of conventional submarine propulsion and energy systems, including Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Converteam, Ricardo and Pacific Marine Batteries (PMB), best known for their work on the battery system on the Collins class.

To ensure informed analysis and innovative solutions, Babcock also involved Sydac, IPACS and Australian SMEs with cutting edge expertise in novel propulsion test and integration supported by the best European expertise in technology development and facilities, together with Rider Levett Bucknall, Australian experts in feasibility stage building costing and program definition. The report was delivered in June this year.

“The Commonwealth has since added more phases onto that piece of work to flesh out the initial feasibility study we did,” Babcock Pty Ltd Deputy CEO, Rear Admiral Bob Love (ex Royal Navy Chief Naval Engineer) said to ADM.

“We visited a number of international facilities such as the four submarine builders in Europe plus US and UK sites,” explained Dave Groocock, Babcock’s senior project manager on the program. “We wanted to see how they operated and what could be applied to the Australian context, particularly on the propulsion front.”

The Babcock report did not present firm recommendations but rather a number of options that the Commonwealth may choose to follow. All aspects of the test sites visited and their location relative to production facilities were assessed in order to gain a wider understanding of what a land based test site could look like in Australia. Costing at this stage for each of the options were considered but are limited due to evolving submarine concept design options.

While nothing has yet been spent on the facility as yet plans are progressing with Defence Support Reform Group (DSRG)(first pass has been achieved and second pass for the main facility is planned for 2018) the Sea 1000 program office will be providing the funding, according to a Defence spokesperson. These spending details will be firmed up post second pass.

“Elements of the facility will also be located in Western Australia (where Navy will have easy access for training purposes) and Victoria (where DSTO maritime specialists are based),” according to the ministerial release in December 2012.

“Regardless of the submarine design option that is ultimately chosen, the establishment of the Land Based Test Site will significantly reduce the risk of delay and cost overruns, poor availability and increased operating and sustainment costs, loss of capability and most importantly, the risk of a catastrophic accident caused by a failure of the power and energy systems.

“The Land Based Test Facility will also help ensure that challenges encountered from the maintenance of the Collins Class fleet are addressed,” the statement said.

Going forward, the Commonwealth is very much in information gathering and learning mode at the moment. Given that second pass is five years away, they have the time and opportunity to pursue numerous concepts.

“I think we are forming a clear idea of the size of the facility,” Love confirmed to ADM. “As to what goes in it and when, it really depends on what option the Commonwealth finally decides upon as its future Design, Build and Operational Strategy for Future Submarine. We believe our deep experience in submarine sustainment, design for support and the transition management of over nine different classes of submarines places us well for any future role in Land Based Test Facility Operation.”

ADM also assumes that the Sea 1000 SPESIFy project team will also be looking to work closely with whichever procurement model and/or industry team the Future Submarine takes (an AWD style alliance for example). The continued involvement of DSTO, the science and technology lead organisation and others is assumed. A possible prime systems integrator would be a logical choice to be heavily involved with the facility.

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