Page 75 - Australian Defence Mag Sep 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
SUSTAINMENT MARITIME 75
SYDNEY CITY MARINE EXPANDS DEFENCE WORK
Naval Ship Management Australia (NSM) has extended its partnership with Sydney City Marine (SCM) for facility and vessel maintenance services for the RAN’s 12 Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) Landing Crafts (LLCs).
SCM were recently awarded Naval Technical Bureau (NTB) qualification from the Director General Engineering – Navy for slipping and docking vessels. The new long-term agreement enables NSM to meet the contractual obligations of the LHD Asset Class Prime Contractor contract.
SCM provides local and sovereign sustainment capabilities and is located in Rozelle with waterway access to key Defence establishments such as HMAS Waterhen and Fleet Base East.
“This long-term agreement further validates our credentials as a key service provider for Defence assets and ensuring the availabilities of the LLCs is critical in achieving the fully operational conditions of the LHDs, a responsibility to NSM that we take very seriously,” SCM’s Director, Brenton Fischer said.
SCM has been assessed by the Naval Technical Bureau (NTB) in June as achieving the requirements of the ADF Maritime Material Requirements (MMR) for Slipping and Docking of ADF vessels.
industry landscape for the long-term, enabling us to con- tinue to grow our workforce with a degree of certainty. We have plans to continue our growth by another 83 per cent over the next three years.”
In doing so, however, Navantia Australia will run into the same problem facing commercial shipbuilding and sustain- ment across the country: a shortage of skilled workers who are eligible to work in a secure industry.
Late last year, BAE Systems Chief Technology Officer Brad Yelland said that of the 34,000 engineers that gradu- ate in Australia every year, only 25 per cent – 8,500 – are eligible to work in defence industry. How many of those want to work in defence industry is a separate question and only serves to narrow the pool further.
“As all in defence industry know, the talent pool is cur- rently small and highly competitive so the ability to attract, retain and develop personnel is paramount,” Cowie said. “Besides the continued development of our own people, we will be cooperating with the Naval Shipbuilding College and other institutions to grow Australian workforce capability.”
Whilst the digital twin and smart sustainment models are set to improve the sustainment of RAN vessels, according to Garcia-Valdes, the human element remains vital to what his company does: “Sovereign capability in the form of human capital is critical to maintain these designs through life.” ■
“Sydney City Marine – the premier maritime repair
and maintenance facility in the Sydney Basin, now
authorised by the Royal Australian Navy to dock all
Australian Defence Force vessels up to 800 tonnes.”
“PULLQUOTE.”
www.sydneycitymarine.com.au
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