Page 10 - Australian Defence Magazine April 2019

NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
RAN chooses new sub rescue capability
THE RAN will receive a new sovereign air transportable Submarine Rescue Service capability under a contract with Phoenix International. The service will be based in WA and support both the Collins Class submarine force and the Attack Class sub- marines for the next 25 plus years.
The submarine rescue system will be ac- cepted into operational service in 2022 and will be one of only four air transportable systems in the world. While the primary mission is to deliver a rescue capability for Australia’s submarine fleet, the system will also be capable of supporting other subma- rine operating nations in distress through
Thales reveals Lithgow plans
THALES Australia has unveiled concept plans for the future of Lithgow Arms – a precinct to develop and manufacture next generation soldier weapons systems.
The soldier weapons systems of the future will integrate both traditional manufactur- ing and digital technologies, including 3D printing, advanced optical and targeting equipment and digitally networked com- munications.
Thales’s plans envisage drawing together these advanced skills and industrial capa- bility in this next generation precinct to
the use of the NATO standard escape hatch. “The new system is being designed and built specifically to support the capability requirements of the Navy and will be both air and road transportable, capable of be- ing deployed on a range of vessels,” Min-
ister for Defence Christopher Pyne said. It can be rapidly deployed in support of a distressed submarine anywhere in Austra-
lia’s area of operation.
The acquisition phase of the project is val-
ued at $255 million with Australian Indus- try Content at approximately 80 per cent, creating more than 55 jobs.
HI Fraser’s wholly owned subsidiary, HI
maintain a sovereign industrial capability for the ADF in Lithgow.
The precinct will also integrate trade and research institutions, SME partners, and key industrial partners.
“Since 1912, the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, now known as Lithgow Arms, has proudly supported Aus-
tralia’s soldiers on battlefields
around the world,” Thales Aus- tralia CEO Chris Jenkins said. “Thales Australia is seeking to build on this distinguished heri- tage to create the Sovereign In- dustrial Capability Precinct in Lithgow. This precinct will posi- tion Lithgow at the forefront of more than $2 billion of domestic and significant export opportu- nities in the next 10 years.
Fraser Hyperbaric Solutions (HIFHS) is a key subcontractor during the acquisition phase of the project. HIFHS is the hyper- baric system integrator responsible for niche aspects of the SRS: the design and build of the entire hyperbaric suite; a con- tainerised medical treatment facility; as- sociated equipment; and a medical patient tracking system.
The work will be carried out at both the Sydney and Perth facilities of HI Fra- ser, which have served as the premises for maintenance of niche safety critical gas and liquid systems on Collins class submarines and other naval platforms.
“Lithgow has been the home of small arms manufacturing for over a century, and Thales is seeking strong support from the Government to secure its future both for the next generation soldier weapons systems and the skilled workforce behind the defence force.”
10 | April 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au
THALES DEFENCE