ThyssenKrupp in Australia

German naval giant ThyssenKrupp is re-fashioning its local operations, with a long-term eye on development of both the Navy's surface and submarine fleets.
Bernie Clark, Managing Director of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Australia and previously MD of Blohm+Voss Assets Pty Ltd, says there are important implications for Australia in recent and significant changes in the German shipbuilding industry.

TKMS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of warship designer and builder Blohm+Voss GmbH (designer of the ANZAC class frigates). In January this year ThyssenKrupp Werften, owner of Blohm+Voss merged with HDW to create ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG owned 75% by TK Technologies AG and 25% by US company One Equity Partners. The merger creates the largest naval design and shipbuilding group in Europe with resources of more than 9000 skilled and experienced personnel and an annual turnover equivalent to AUD3.7 billion.

Clark says Blohm+Voss, one of the three shortlisted platform designers for the Air Warfare Destroyer has the full backing and commitment of TKMS and that the in-country ship design capability established with Australian Marine Technologies (AMT) will continue. As a subcontractor to Tenix, AMT is undertaking principal design work on the tanker conversion project (SEA 1654) and has undertaken many design tasks in support of a number of ANZAC Class enhancement projects.

HDW, a leader in conventional submarine design and construction, including air independent propulsion technologies, brings into TKMS the capabilities of its subsidiary Kockums AB, designer of the Collins-class submarines. Clark says TKMS Australia is committed to working closely with ASC and the Commonwealth in the support and enhancement of the submarine fleet.

An issue of particular interest is the possible future introduction of air-independent propulsion, in particular the Stirling engine, developed by Kockums and now in service with the Swedish Navy. The advantages for covert surveillance missions are obvious. Instead of days submerged, a Stirling AIP submarine can extend the time submerged to weeks and thus outperform any other conventional submarine with regard to that key capability - submerged endurance.

At one stage consideration had been given to equipping some of the six Collins-class boats with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) later changed to modifying one of the submarines with AIP, or partial AIP as a proof of concept for the next, new generation submarine. To prepare for this a Kockums V4 Stirling engine was acquired so that DSTO could assess the technical risk in building a reliable system for operational use.

According to DSTO the Stirling engine performed very satisfactorily and at the time it was seen as the only AIP candidate system that could be fielded in the Collins. The one drawback was the Stirling engine's relatively low power output. To meet the submerged charging requirements of the Collins' batteries a bank of possibly three or four Stirlings might be required, DSTO's AIP program manager, Janis Cocking, said at the time.

By Tom Muir, Canberra