Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy formally opened the Navantia Australia Melbourne Naval Design and Engineering Centre at a ceremony on 11 October.
The formalities were attended by Senator Jess Walsh, Senator for Victoria and Chair of the Economics Legislation Committee, Alicia Moral Revilla, Spanish Ambassador to Australia, Captain Ernesto Zarco Gil, Spanish Defence Attaché, John O’Callaghan, Victorian Defence Advocate, and Donato Martinez, Navantia Vice President of Technology, Digital Transformation, Systems, and Services.
Navantia Australia first opened the Melbourne Naval Design and Engineering Centre in 2018 to complement the work at its Adelaide Operations and Design Centre. In mid-2020 this work was relocated to a higher capacity site which, in December 2022, expanded and upgraded to its current scale and sophistication.
Navantia Australia’s Naval Design and Engineering Centre is one of the largest dedicated, sovereign naval design capabilities in Australia. The more than 100 engineers at the site have developed upwards of 300 design changes to the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet during sustainment. The locally engaged engineers are currently developing the Phase 6 design work to upgrade the Aegis combat system on the Hobart class destroyers and have made the first Navantia Australia ship designs including the Land 8710 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel – Medium and joint support ship. Navantia Australia is also working on new Australian-developed naval ship concepts for the future surface fleet, including uncrewed surface vessels. This engineering capability, complemented by the Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) in Navantia Australia’s technical supply network, provides expertise for the company’s design work nationwide.
“As part of the national endeavour to establish Australia’s Naval shipbuilding and sustainment enterprise, having a strong, sovereign design capability is critical,” said Lozano. “I am incredibly proud of the team we have built here in Melbourne and the fantastic work they produce in the Naval Design and Engineering Centre. Growing from only 15 people in 2017 to more than 100 today in 2023, I am proud of the work, commitment, and passion I have witnessed in supporting the Royal Australian Navy.”
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we have a few of these major defence companies in Australia now. They’re really showing interest. Well, I suppose they would if we contract to them