Defence has signed a strategic agreement to recognise Navantia as a Design Authority for four classes of RAN ships.
Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, Chief of Navy, and Navantia Australia’s Chairman, Warren King, signed the agreement on board HMAS Hobart in Sydney Harbour on Sunday, 17 May. CASG Deputy Secretary National Naval Shipbuilding, Tony Dalton, and Navantia’s Global President, Susana de Sarría, were also signatories to the agreement.
The agreement provides a framework to ensure that all current and future Navantia designed vessels in service with the RAN are adequately supported for their life of type.
Under the agreement, Navantia Australia will work towards establishing a digital ship as a means to enhance the service level for each class of ship. This will ensure that the design integrity, configuration control, upgrades and modernisation of Navantia designed ships and supplied systems and equipment is fully supported in Australia.
“The Strategic Agreement outlines Defence and Navantia Australia’s joint commitment to ensure the best possible support for Australia’s Navantia-designed warships,” VADM Noonan said. “This agreement further enhances the important relationship between Defence and Navantia.”
“This represents a significant milestone in the development of the sovereign capability of Navantia Australia and strengthens Australia’s naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry. It will see the largest, most valuable transfer of capability that I am aware of in the history of Australian defence industry,” Navantia Australia Chairman Warren King said.
“This transfer means that the design data for the Hobart class Guided Missile Destroyers, Canberra class Landing Helicopter Docks and Landing Craft and the Navy’s new Supply class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ships and the maintenance, update and upgrade of the Navantia Integrated Platform Management System components will all be managed from Australia.”