In bustling facilities some 650km apart, the eventual shapes of the RAN ’s first Hobart class air warfare destroyer (AWD) and its first Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) are becoming increasingly recognisable.

The UK’s Astute class submarines have had their well publicised issues for both technology and schedule, not unlike the Collins class. And like the Collins class, there is a replacement already on the drawing board.

The opaque process by which information is being gathered and analysed to inform government on the broad options for Australia’s Future Submarine program is moving into areas of greater detail, boosted in part by the $214 million allocated to Sea 1000 in the May budget.

In May, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced a range of detailed scoping studies in support of the Future Submarine program. The announcement flagged the spending of $214 million on detailed analysis to better inform the Government on the design of the new boats.

Many of the current missions of Australia’s submarine fleet are classified. But by looking at the successes of past fleets in Australia, their future importance cannot be underestimated.

In terms of tonnage, there is a lot of shipbuilding on the Australian horizon over the coming decade. But it’s not a smooth path to delivery. There are, as always, peaks and troughs between programs. With this in mind, ADM Editor Katherine Ziesing spoke to three shipbuilders to see how they are dealing with their workforces and planning their business.

When the Collins submarines work, they are a world-class capability. The issue has always been getting the reliability issue sorted on a platform that was not built with sustainment in mind. The new In Service Support Contract (ISSC) is aiming to change that.

In what appears to be something of a ‘first article’ trial, the two periscopes for one Collins submarine are being updated from analogue to digital systems.

The ADF’s torpedo inventory is growing, with two new lightweight torpedoes, together with Mk-46s and various Mk-48 heavyweights, ADCAP and otherwise, all in their various warshot, ASROC, dummy, training and high altitude guises. Enough, one suspects, to make even a Costco shelf-stacker blink.

Sometime next year, so Defence Minister Stephen Smith has indicated, government will decide on which combat system, sensors and weapon systems will equip Australia’s Future Submarine.

A new maintenance and support contract for the Collins submarines has been signed following negotiations between the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and ASC Pty Ltd. The In-Service Support Contract (ISSC) has been put in place to deliver more efficient and effective sustainment services that will improve the availability and reliability of the Collins Submarine fleet.

Austal hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the first of eight high performance patrol boats it is building for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service last month on June 8.

Sealegs Corporation Limited, manufacturers of the innovative range of amphibious boats, has unveiled a 7.7-metre version, which has applications for both Special Forces and law enforcement agencies.

Melbourne based Integrated Design and Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd has delivered a 36-tonne, Mobile Proof Gun Mount for use by Joint Logistics Command’s Proof & Experimental Establishment for the testing of Navy’s 5” munitions.

Three years after it was first announced, the government's decision to acquire a fleet of 12 advanced conventional submarines has finally been given real impetus.

In December 2011 the Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith and the Minister for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare announced that the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) would develop a Future Submarine Industry Skills Plan.