Luerssen Australia announced it has reached a milestone with its workforce reaching the 200 employee mark as it continues to grow. Over the last four years, Luerssen Australia has expanded its team in Perth and Adelaide as it delivers twelve Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for the Royal Australian Navy. Currently, Luerssen Australia has six vessels under construction across two sites. This follows the launch of NUSHIP Arafura in December 2021 in South Australia.
Luerssen Australia Chief Executive Officer, Jens Nielsen, said he is proud of this latest milestone. “This is a pivotal point for Luerssen Australia and its commitment to creating a world-class sovereign shipbuilding industry,” said Nielsen. “It is fantastic to grow our workforce and create job opportunities for Australians.”
With the Federal Government investing billions of dollars into the Western Australian shipbuilding sector over the next decade, Luerssen Australia sees a very bright future for the industry and looks forward to playing a pivotal role in the years to come.
“Luerssen Australia is extremely grateful for its supplier partners who have created a strong collaborative environment. They are helping to shape the future of Australian shipbuilding and are strengthening the sovereign supply chain,” said Nielsen.
To date, Luerssen Australia has achieved an impressive 63% Australian Industry Content on the OPV Program and aims to increase this further. Luerssen Australia is involving as many local companies as possible, and continues to embed almost 150 years of shipbuilding knowledge into Australia.
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Can we have an update on delivery of the Arafura’s? What is the delay?
I’ll check. There was an announced 6 month delay mainly caused by Covid and the difficulties that caused transitioning from the first 2 ships being constructed in Osbourne to everything else being done in WA by Civmec. As far as I am aware, Defence/RAN has still not sorted out the issue of the missing 40mm main gun more than a year after cancelling the original contract with Leonardo, which is evidence of an extraordinary level of incompetence.
So Nuship Arafura is tied up at the dock? There seems to be no comms about it going out to sea and undergoing testing/ commissioning when every other day there’s a press release whenever someone in government goes to the opening of an envelope
The last time that I was in Adelaide (November) NUSHIP Arafura was indeed tied up at the dock – I assume for Harbour Acceptance Trials. Let me find out the sea trials and handover schedule.
Latest I hear here in WA is Luerssen and Civmec have parted ways. Luerssen moved their office out of the Civmec facility. And one of the WA Civmec built hulls are not up to the required standards.
So more delays?
I visited the Luerssen / Civmec facility in Henderson, WA, mid-December and everything was powering along. The hull quality issue seems to have been a rumour started (or amplified) by a competitor. It relates to the keel alignment of the third ship (the first being constructed by Civmec) which is a few millimetres greater than the first two built by ASC, but still well within the design specification.
An update would be appreciated.
I can understand a delay to the first of a class of some 12 vessels while “stuff” is sorted out, but its now some 14 months since NUSHIP Arafura hit the water.
Little or no news does make you wonder what is going on.
Is it a manufacturing thing, Poor PR, something to do with the forthcoming Defence Strategic Review or something else.
Cheers
Other forums have suggested the delay might be due to certification issues. One forum provided quote from the ABC four months ago -“The ABC has learnt “seaworthiness” concerns have emerged on the first completed Arafura-class patrol vessel, due to problems meeting civilian safety standards”
They mentioned something to do with the Arafura OPV being built to civilian standards and a change in the way CASG does certification?
Thanks. OPVs by definition are built to commercial standards. You might be onto something – it would not surprise me to find out that the RAN, having ordered an OPV, is now struggling with certification issues.
I’ve heard that seaworthy certification in regards having a partly civilian crew on board for acceptance trials is the issue.
Just another ill thought out process by the looks of it
“OPVs by definition are built to commercial standards” – yes, in general, you are right, but it depends on their purpose. For example, the batch 2 River class OPVs are built to more stringent naval standards, with features such as magazine protection, improved hull integrity and fire safety modifications, as well as greater redundancy.
could the Arafura OPVs be heavily modified to become floating / mobile missile silos to accompany the fleet by doing away with the helipad and replacing it with a 32, 40 or 48 cell VLS (plus CEC / combat hardening etc etc). Pity it isn’t fast enough to keep up with the Hobart AWDs or hunter class