• Artist's impression of the massive Forgacs Marine and Defence shipbuilding hall currently under construction on the Civmec site at Henderson, WA. Credit: Civmec/Forgacs Marine & Defence
    Artist's impression of the massive Forgacs Marine and Defence shipbuilding hall currently under construction on the Civmec site at Henderson, WA. Credit: Civmec/Forgacs Marine & Defence
  • Civmec will be using the Tomago shipyard facility as its East Coast headquarters. Credit: Forgacs
    Civmec will be using the Tomago shipyard facility as its East Coast headquarters. Credit: Forgacs
  • Civmec workers secure one of the 250 tonne suction piles to a crane inside the large Civmec facility at Henderson, WA. Credit: Civmec
    Civmec workers secure one of the 250 tonne suction piles to a crane inside the large Civmec facility at Henderson, WA. Credit: Civmec
  • A group of high school students toured Civmec’s shipbuilding facility under construction in Henderson, WA, with Peter Luerssen, the head of 140-year-old German shipbuilder, designer, and Sea 1180 bidder Luerssen. Credit: Luerssen/ Civmec/Forgacs
    A group of high school students toured Civmec’s shipbuilding facility under construction in Henderson, WA, with Peter Luerssen, the head of 140-year-old German shipbuilder, designer, and Sea 1180 bidder Luerssen. Credit: Luerssen/ Civmec/Forgacs
  • Civmec/Forgacs will build a 40 storey shipbuilding hall on a seven hectare site south of the existing facility seen here at Henderson, WA. Credit: Civmec
    Civmec/Forgacs will build a 40 storey shipbuilding hall on a seven hectare site south of the existing facility seen here at Henderson, WA. Credit: Civmec
  • The existing Civmec site at Henderson, with the BAE Systems and Austal facilities situated in the background. Credit: Civmec
    The existing Civmec site at Henderson, with the BAE Systems and Austal facilities situated in the background. Credit: Civmec
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Civmec/Forgacs to fabricate steel for OPVs

1 February 2018
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Yesterday's release from Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne gave some hint of the how the chips will fall on the $3 billion build of the 12 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) designed by Sea 1180 winner Luerssen.

The German shipbuilder is still engaged in contract negotiations with Civmec subsidiary Forgacs Marine and Defence and Austal regarding the build of 10 of the OPVs in WA from 2020. ASC will build the first two vessels at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in SA. The release, however, stated that “Civmec will provide the steel from Australian suppliers for all 12 OPVs”, confirming responses to Senate Estimates last year by CASG Deputy Secretary Kim Gillis that Luerssen's established supply chain via Civmec would be maintained.

Forgacs Marine and Defence MD Mike Deeks could only confirm to ADM that negotiations were still underway with Luerssen, and the company was unable to provide further comment. He did expect that given the timeline under which the OPVs were to be built, more detail surrounding the nature of the WA build would be forthcoming in the very near future.

Regarding the steel: "If the Minister has deemed it should be included in the release you can take it as read.”

ADM Comment: While the release confirming contract signature between Luerssen and the Commonwealth is welcome news, many keen program watchers are more interested to know the nature of the workshare between Forgacs Marine and Defence and Austal for the remainder the of the build. Who's doing what? ADM will keep a keen eye on the program and let you know more as we do.

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