• From left, Neil Hodges, ATSA Operations Director; Commander Scott Craig RAN, Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group; Darren Burrowes, ATSA Engineering Director; and Max Kufner, Minehunter Program Director,Thales Australia.
    From left, Neil Hodges, ATSA Operations Director; Commander Scott Craig RAN, Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group; Darren Burrowes, ATSA Engineering Director; and Max Kufner, Minehunter Program Director,Thales Australia.
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Commander Scott Craig RAN, Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group, and Max Kufner, Minehunter Program Director, Thales Australia, recently joined ATSA Defence Systems directors Neil Hodges and Darren Burrowes to unveil the "Double Eagle Record Board".

The Board coincides with ATSA's 10th anniversary and marks the completion of major work tasks undertaken by ATSA for the RAN including overhaul and refurbishment of Double Eagle vehicles, winches and other components.

Each vehicle overhaul represents more than 320 man hours of work, completed to exacting quality standards to ensure capability readiness for the RAN.

In congratulating ATSA on their achievement, Max Kufner said ATSA had been a proactive and reliable contractor to Thales for the Minehunter In Service Support Program.

"Small to medium enterprises such as ATSA are great sources of innovation and support to prime contractors such as Thales," Kufner said.

"ATSA's success in entering the global supply chain with orders from Saab Underwater Systems is also particularly commendable."

Commander Craig emphasised the importance of the Double Eagle system for minewarfare activities.

"Unmanned underwater vehicles are a key technology to reduce the risk to personnel and platforms in a potentially mined area and could potentially form part of the RAN's future naval force," Commander Craig said.

ATSA was established in Newcastle as a result of the construction of six Minehunter Coastal ships that cost a total of $1 billion.

With a heavy focus on research and development, the company employs 15 staff including four degree-qualified engineers (one PhD) and six electronics technicians.

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