Future Submarine designer and builder DCNS has formally signed on as a supporting industry participant with Australia’s Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC).

The agreement will see DMTC and DCNS collaborate on developing technical expertise and building industrial capacity within Australian maritime sector supply chains, with a focus in the first instance on naval shipbuilding and repair.

“Through these types of projects we are ... looking to extend industry capacity in support of Australia’s continuous surface shipbuilding program”

Work has already commenced on a project involving research partners from the University of Wollongong, Defence Science & Technology Group and ANSTO, and is focused on reducing levels of distortion experienced in naval surface ship construction.

CEO of DMTC, Dr Mark Hodge, said DCNS will be working with the same DMTC team that previously worked together to enhance welding processes for panel construction on Australia’s fleet of Air Warfare Destroyers – an award-winning project that was highlighted in the 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement.

“In this new project, the expanded team will extend that research and technical work to tackle more complex and challenging internal joints.”

“I am confident the project will achieve outcomes with direct relevance to Defence’s capability needs.

“We have had strong support from Defence’s Sea 5000 Program and are working closely with DST Group scientists and research and industry partners,” Dr Hodge said.

“Through these types of projects we are taking technologies at the core of DMTC’s established expertise – including welding, corrosion management, life-of-type modelling and both production and sustainment technologies – and looking to extend industry capacity in support of Australia’s continuous surface shipbuilding program.”