Page 12 - Australian Defence Magazine February 2022

12 NEWS REVIEW INDUSTRY UPDATE
FEBRUARY 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
FIRST OPV LAUNCHED
in the Royal Australian Navy’s history and you should be proud of your achievements, thank you. Together we have built a formi- dable vessel for the Navy.
“I am proud of the high level of Austra- lian Industry Content and the large number of close relationships we have forged with our partners, the Program Office and the broader Defence community over the years.”
The AIC percentage for the program is 63 per cent and Luerssen Australia’s next target is to reach 65 per cent.
The ship’s sponsor who named Arafura upon launch was Nova Peris, the first Ab- original Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, a descendant from West Arnhem Land and a very proud representative of northern Australia, where the ship will large- ly operate. Peris was also the first Aboriginal womanelectedtoFederalParliament.
In a unique twist at the ceremony, in- stead of champagne, a bottle of water from the Arafura Sea was smashed on the bow to mark the launch of the vessel.
Luerssen Australia became the Prime Contractor on the Sea 1180 program to build 12 Arafura-class OPVs after winning the contract at the end of 2017.
ABOVE: NUSHIP Arafura at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
ARAFURA-CLASS offshore patrol vessel (OPV), NUSHIP Arafura, was launched in December at the Osborne Naval Ship- yard in South Australia – the first in a fleet of 12 OPVs being built for the Royal Aus- tralian Navy to replace the Armidale and Cape class patrol boats.
Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said the launch of NUSHIP Arafura was a step forward in protecting Australian borders and offshore interests, providing increased maritime patrol and response capability and interoperability with Australian ves- sels and regional partners.
“The Arafura-class OPVs represent the future of Australia’s border protection and will be the primary asset for mari- time patrol and response duties,” he said. “Our commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous region will be bolstered by the introduction of these vessels, with state- of-the-art sensors and command and com- munications systems.”
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the build of the Arafura-class OPVs is a cornerstone of the Naval Ship- building Plan.
“We are committed to a sovereign con-
tinuous naval shipbuilding program and I congratulate Australian industry and the workforce involved in building NUSHIP Arafura,” Minister Price said.
“It is a demonstration of Australia’s con- tinued strengthening of our defence capa- bility and represents a $4.7 billion invest- ment in our defence industry.
“Australian industry is building all 12 vessels here in Australia and will continue to sustain them over their lifecycle, deliv- ering long-term local jobs.”
The first two OPVs are being construct- ed by Luerssen Australia at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia, setting the foundationforcontinuousshipbuildingbe- fore the Hunter Class frigate program pro- gresses through prototyping to construction.
The 10 remaining OPVs will be built by Luerssen Australia at the Henderson Mar- itime Precinct in Western Australia.
“This launch is an important moment in the life of Arafura and it is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the hard work and commitment of hundreds of people,” Chief Executive Officer of Luerssen Aus- tralia, Jens Nielsen, said. “Everyone who has worked on Arafura has a unique place
DEFENCE