Three AWDs are being built for the Royal Australian Navy. The work has seen employment numbers in the Hunter region go from 400 to almost 700 in just a year.
The workforce in the Hunter for the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD)
Project has now hit almost 700 across Forgacs’ two Newcastle facilities in Tomago and
Carrington.
Construction of the AWDs
involves the fabrication of 90 separate steel blocks, 30 for each ship, as well
as three additional sonar blocks at a number of shipyards in Australia and
overseas.
Forgacs is contracted to build almost half of the blocks.
Minister for Defence
Materiel Jason Clare and Member for Newcastle Sharon Grierson visited the
Hunter company to review progress on the construction of the blocks.
The first blocks will be
shipped from Newcastle to Adelaide in the next few weeks and seven
blocks are expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
“Each AWD will have anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface
warfare capability as well as the ability to embark a helicopter at sea,” Clare
said.
“Forgacs is playing a key role in delivering AWD and is also
making a valuable contribution to discussions about the future of naval
shipbuilding in Australia
through the Future Submarine Industry Skills Plan,” Clare added.
“The Air Warfare Destroyer
project currently employs around 700 workers across Forgacs’ Hunter sites
compared with 400 this time last year,” Grierson concluded
Three AWDs are being built for the Royal Australian Navy. The work has seen employment numbers in the Hunter region go from 400 to almost 700 in just a year.
