Naval Group has formally signed a contract with a local engineering company, KBR, to assist with the concept design of the proposed Future Submarine (Sea 1000) construction yard at the Osborne Naval Shipbuilding precinct in South Australia.
The submarine construction yard concept design will include the facilities and infrastructure required to construct a fleet of twelve regionally superior Future Submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
KBR will support Naval Group to deliver the concept design for the Future Submarine yard to the Commonwealth in July 2018.
“We will be utilising Naval Group’s extensive experience building and maintaining nuclear and conventional submarines for the French, Brazilian, Malaysian, Indian and Chilean navies to ensure that the facility is appropriately equipped to build Australia’s Future Submarine fleet,” Brent Clark, Interim CEO, Naval Group Australia said.
A team of KBR and Naval Group Australia engineers will undertake design workshops within Australia and France in February 2018 to inform the concept design and facilitate knowledge transfer. The team will draw on Naval Group’s international experience as a reference point for Australia’s Future Submarine yard.
“KBR is excited to be providing our expertise to Naval Group for this nationally significant project that will deliver a world-class future submarine facility, a significant component of the infrastructure enabler of Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan. Having designed the original Collins submarine facility in SA in the 1980’s and more recently the Air Warfare Destroyer shipyard, KBR brings extensive local defence infrastructure engineering and program management experience to this important project,” Greg Conlon, KBR president Asia Pacific said.
“We anticipate this contract will employee around 100 South Australians and we look forward to working with Naval Group and the Australian Government to maximise opportunities for local industry,” added Conlon.