Page 46 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep 2021

46 SUSTAINMENT AND MRO
SEPTEMBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
at how they can work together has been terrific,” RADM Malcolm adds. “The idea is that we’ll have a long-term ar- rangement to provide maintenance for all the ships that are based in Cairns, as well as anything else which may call in.”
The Cairns RMC will set the template and pace for es- tablishment of similar facilities around the country, the second of which will be located at Henderson. An RFT for Henderson is anticipated later this year, with the goal of having a maintenance provider in place in early 2022. The RMCs in Darwin and Sydney will follow shortly thereaf- ter and together they will provide an opportunity to stan-
LEFT: Head of Maritime
Systems Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm speaks at the launch of the Defence Industry Pathway Program in CIVMEC at Henderson shipyard.
RIGHT: Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm is given a guided tour of the Tropical Reef Shipyard in Cairns by General Manager Rob Downing.
Malcolm adds. “We’re now looking at Henderson and Syd- ney and their requirement to support the very complex in- tegrated systems in our major surface combatants and also their ability to undertake very complex upgrades to insert new capability into those ships in the future.”
CASG currently has 15 separate SPOs to look after its surface fleet and these will remain in place, responsible for the allocation of required maintenance activities to the re- spective RMCs.
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
The RMC model is intended to grow industrial capability around each hub and CASG is now engaging with industry to evolve the existing commercial model and tailor supply chains to each region where possible. The work will also develop a more strategic contract approach across suppliers which currently have their products in several classes of ship.
“This is trying to take a wider approach to our systems support, so that you have really good, incentivised supply chain contracts here in Australia that provide a long-term view, so that companies can invest, but also provide a more affordable approach to sustainment,” RADM Malcolm ex- plains. “We are also looking at opportunities across both shipbuilding and sustainment.”
Plan Galileo is also carefully considering the infrastruc- ture required in the future to support activities at each RMC, given the tonnage of Navy’s ships will increase by around 130 per cent between now and 2040 under the continuous ship- building plan. Henderson, for example, is a site which sup- ports both ship construction and sustainment, and RADM Malcolm’s team is working closely with the WA State Govern- ment to determine what infrastructure will be needed.
“The WA Government has also invested heavily in the in- frastructure at Henderson, they’re building new hardstands, new transfer paths for the ships to move along and designs for new wharves,” RADM Malcolm adds. “We’re looking at
“THIS IS TRYING TO TAKE A WIDER APPROACH TO OUR SYSTEMS SUPPORT”
dardise service delivery.
RADM Malcolm says Defence
is not looking to engage with a single maintenance provider across all four RMCs. “What we’re trying to do is find the fo- cus in each region to best sup- port and grow the sovereign sus- tainment capability for Navy at
that actual RMC,” she explains. “We’re keen to reach out to those who know and understand the provision of mainte- nance in those areas, build and further develop the capabil- ity in those areas.”
The RMC in Cairns will primarily be responsible for sup- porting the Arafura OPVs and Evolved Cape class patrol boats in the region, but will also play a significant role in the depot-level maintenance and docking of the Guardian class patrol boats. While the facilities are being established as a ‘one-stop shop’ for naval sustainment needs, each will be tailored to the specific region and ships it will support.
“We have different challenges in different regions. Cairns and Darwin for example are very much focussed on patrol boat and smaller vessels, which often have less-complex systems than a major surface unit, and typically undergo shorter but more frequent maintenance periods,” RADM
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