Page 12 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

12 NEWS REVIEW INDUSTRY UPDATE
DECEMBER 2022-JANUARY 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
US NAVY SEAHAWK TO UNDERGO MAINTENANCE
BEN FELTON | CANBERRA
A United States Navy MH-60R Seahawk Romeo will undergo a Periodic Mainte- nance Inspection (PMI) in Australia, as part of a demonstration of alternative main- tenance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. Over a period of 10 months, the Seahawk will undergo a thorough strip-down and re- build at Sikorsky Australia’s facility in Now- ra, involving a variety of Australian vendors.
Commodore Darren Rae, Director Gen- eral Naval Aviation and Aircrew Training, told ADM the demonstration was stra- tegically significant, because it would help strengthen the global Romeo supply chain, and deepen interchangeability be- tween Australia and the United States.
“We have demonstrated together quite an exemplary commitment to identifying opportunities to strategically enhance Aus- tralia’s in-country support for the Romeo capability,” CDRE Rae said. “This really goes to our shared priorities to strengthen
supply chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific. This pilot activity will use our combined maintenance practices for the conduct of a deeper level maintenance activity in Australia, and allows us to use our supply chain and demonstrate resilience.”
He added that the demonstration, which he cautioned was not a guarantee of future work, was a natural extension of the existing interchangeability that exists between the USN and RAN.
LEFT: A USN MH-60 Romeo and a RAN MH-60 Romeo helicopter at Sikorsky in Nowra, NSW
Cliff Kyle, General Manager Sikorsky Australia, told ADM that the company was ‘hon- oured’ to be entrusted with a USN airframe which he said would integrate ‘seamlessly’ into their existing maintenance sys- tem, helping to strengthen the
company’s workforce capabilities.
CDRE Rae added that, despite the addi-
tional aircraft being integrated into Sikor- sky Australia’s maintenance plan, there would be no impact on the RAN Romeo fleet’s maintenance schedule.
Earlier in 2022, the Commonwealth con- firmed an order for additional Romeo heli- copters which will grow the RAN’s fleet by a third, necessitating the growth of sustain- ment and maintenance capabilities in Nowra.
NAVY TO ACQUIRE BLUEBOTTLE USVS
JULIAN KERR | SYDNEY
THE RAN is acquiring five Bluebottle un- crewed surface vessels (USVs) to enhance its ability to experiment and advance the operational employment of uncrewed sys- tems under, on and above the water.
Disclosing that a $4.9 million contract with Sydney-based Ocius Technologies had been signed on 24 November, Rear Admiral Peter Quinn, Head Navy Capa- bility, stated the agreement represented a significant investment in sovereign indus- try capability to advance the ability of the RAN in employing robotic and autono- mous systems.
“We have vast areas to patrol which we can’t do with a small number of crewed ships. We have to invest in uncrewed plat- forms that will be out there persistently conducting surveillance,” he said.
The 22ft solar, wind and wave-powered Bluebottles will be used to develop new uncrewed underwater systems technology, and as test beds for above-water and low-
water surveillance and other technologies being sponsored by the RAN via the De- fence Innovation Hub.
“And what we’ve found by putting tech- nologies like the Ocius vessels in the hands of our sailors, soldiers and airmen, is they’re producing results and outcomes that I don’t think we really expected,” RADM Quinn commented.
Ocius Chief Executive Robert Dane told ADM that all five vessels, being built by Van Munster Boats in Morisset, NSW, would be delivered to the RAN by June 2023. They would be based on the east coast, though where had yet to be disclosed, on a government-owned, contractor operated basis. Their con- figuration was a matter for the RAN.
Four vessels under contract to the Australian Border Force, equipped
RIGHT: The Bluebottle uncrewed surface vehicle from Ocius Technology operates in the waters of Jervis Bay
with 360-degree day/night IR cameras, ra- dar and SATCOM, have recently completed 23,000 nautical miles of unescorted mari- time surveillance patrols off WA, he said. A new ABF contract is under discussion.
Two other Bluebottles are currently at Christmas Island on an undisclosed mis- sion, having been delivered by RAAF C- 17A, Dane added. Two others were con- tracted to Parks Australia in early 2023 and a third was currently being outfitted by Perth’s Guardian Geomatics for hydro- graphic work in Japan in 2023 – Ocius’ first civil contract.
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