Despite being delayed by around four months on the original schedule signed in 2007, Australia’s first Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ship is due to begin the next important phase of testing in late February or early March, when sea trials get underway.

As awareness and debate on the importance and complexity of submarine capability has grown within defence and industry circles, so too has the size and scope of Submarine Institute of Australia (SIA) conferences.

Over the coming two decades, Navy and the DMO have an impressive shipbuilding task ahead of them. At a glance the list is patrol boats, Future Frigates, oilers and replenishment, landing craft, submarines and a possible OCV type vessel. Works for each of these programs are at different stages but there is still much to be done on all fronts.

Although Australia’s Future Frigate (Sea 5000) program is still at the requirements definition stage, there’s no discernible shortage of debate on capability and construction issues, or of lobbying to press the merits of individual platforms and systems.

The announcement that the next generation of patrol boats for Navy will be fast-tracked has now thrown somewhat of a question-mark over project Sea 1180, which was to deliver a modular solution for three types of vessel: Patrol boats, mine warfare ships and hydrographic survey vessels.

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.

NSM, a 50-50 joint venture (JV) between Babcock Australia and UGL Infrastructure (UGL), was awarded the $300 million Anzac Major Fleet Unit Group Maintenance Contract in May last year. Two weeks later DMO asked if the critical Phase-In period could be cut from eight to five months.

The announcement in the 2013 Defence White Paper that Navy’s Armidale Patrol Boat replacement program will be fast-tracked has been widely received by industry as a logical step, particularly given the increased efforts to keep the existing boats at sea for much more time than originally envisaged.

Operating in the littoral environmental requires a number of complementary technologies and practices for the ADF.

As part of the logistics and training behind the LHD capability, BAE Systems Australia are preparing RAN crews for their time aboard HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide.

The skills needed to operate future RAN task groups have been boosted by recent deployments of what are arguably the RAN’s two most capable surface combat assets, the guided missile frigate HMAS Sydney and the upgraded Anzac class frigate HMAS Perth.

With the elevation to Treaty level of the Australia-UK bilateral defence and security relationship, fresh impetus has been given to the possibility of renewed collaboration in defence procurement between Australia and the UK.

The future of the RAN’s trouble-prone Remora submarine rescue vessel will be determined in the near future, with strong indications that its return to service is unlikely given the success to date of Navy’s current contractor-provided submarine escape and rescue capability.

The use of unmanned vehicles on land, sea and in the air is on the increase with defence forces around the world and although aerial vehicles tend to capture the spotlight, unmanned platforms are displaying huge potential in the other two domains.

I wouldn’t normally write something like this for ADM but I thought the experience had to be shared. I was lucky enough to spend 24 hours on board HMAS Sheean with a shattered crew who had just finished their return to service trials.

An enhanced support regime and improved teamwork are allowing the RAN’s 14-strong fleet of Armidale-class patrol boats to again meet designated availability requirements notwithstanding a punishing operational tempo and continuing problems with cracking of their aluminium hulls and superstructures.