Navantia Australia and UGL have formally announced a teaming arrangement to bid for Defence’s Land 8710 Phase 1 (Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel – Medium) program.
To be known as the Littoral Alliance, the teaming agreement occurred on the second day of the 2022 Indo Pacific exposition in Sydney and follows the earlier announcement by Navantia Australia at the Land Forces exhibition in June 2021 of an Australian-designed Landing craft named Kodal – a Torres Strait Islander word meaning crocodile.
“The partnership between Navantia Australia and UGL offers combined experience in collaborating with both Navy and Army, to deliver superior results,” Navantia Australia Managing Director Israel Lozano commented. “Together we offer Defence a highly compliant design, cost effective delivery, surety of supply, contribution to the Naval Shipbuilding Plan and maximum Australian content.”
UGL Managing Director Doug Moss said UGL will bring its Australian heavy manufacturing expertise and Australian sovereign capability to the LMV-M bid, enhancing Australia’s naval shipbuilding capability.
The Littoral Alliance announcement follows a teaming agreement last week between Raytheon Australia and BMT for an Australian Independent Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel (ILMV) to be acquired under Land 8710 Phase 1A.
For more information regarding the Land 8710 program see the in-depth story by Senior Correspondent Julian Kerr in the May issue of ADM.