The difficulties being experienced with the RAN’s 14-strong Armidale patrol boat fleet were the subject of unusually strong comments by Col Thorne, the DMO’s general manager Land and Maritime Shipbuilding, at last week’s Hunter Defence Conference.
According to Thorne, “We’re really struggling, as you’ve seen in the press, to keep those Armidale patrol boats working.
“The contractor is struggling, I think he’s under-invested in people, processes and systems over time and now he’s feeling the brunt.
“The ship is not designed for what it was meant to do, it’s lacking in strength and durability and corrosion resistance and a whole bunch of other things, so keeping those things working, particularly in the Operation Sovereign Borders context, is a real struggle at the moment”.
Responding to these remarks, a spokesman for the Armidales’ prime in-service support contractor, DMS Maritime, said the company was committed to providing a high level of service to the DMO and Navy.
