Navantia S.A. has designated Navantia Australia as the Class Manager for the Hobart Class family of warships, in what chairman and former DMO boss Warren King has described as the “largest, most valuable transfer of intellectual property that I am aware of in the history of Australian defence industry”.
The transfer ensures the design of the Hobart Class and its future developments will all be managed from Australia and the same will be true for the F-5000 design currently bid for the Sea 5000 Future Frigate program and any future export variants.
Chairman Navantia S.A.José Esteban Garcia Vilasanchez said the designation is a recognition of Navantia Australia’s growing design capability and of the success of the Hobart Class build.
“We are able to make this designation due to the success of the technology transfer of the Hobart Class and the over one million hours of effort which went into adapting the F-100 design for Australian requirements,” Vilasanchez said. “The fact that Navantia Australia now has the management and development responsibility for the Hobart Class family of vessels is a significant milestone in the development of Navantia as a global company.”
King said the local development of the Hobart Class design offers substantial opportunities for Australian industry.
“Having the responsibility for the management and development of the Hobart Class family in Australia means we have greater ability to incorporate local technologies. Navantia Australia is already providing a global export for Australian companies: Australian technology is onboard ships we are currently building in Spain and is central to our bid for the Canadian Surface Combatant, where we have partnered with Saab Australia and CEA Technologies.”
“Being the class manager for the Hobart Class family will only increase these opportunities for Australian industry,” he concluded.