Destroyers full ahead

Mr Nigel Morris discusses the proposal documents for the new Air Warfare Destroyers with CAPT Steve Gilmore and Mr Warren King.

Photo: ABPH Kade Rogers

By Graham Davis and Kade Rogers

Defence’s exciting plan to acquire three new Air Warfare Destroyers is running full speed ahead. Recent ministerial announcements have seen the project leap forward.

The RAN announced during September’s Navy Symposium that ship designers in Spain, the US and Germany had been asked to provide concept designs for the three ships, due for submission in November.

The AWD program manager Mr Warren King from the Defence Materiel Organisation understands the significance of the project “This is an extremely important project which has full government support and will be of high value to the ADF,” Mr King said CAPT Steve Gilmore, Director Maritime Combat Development, delivered his ‘Enhanced and Future Fleet Projects’ address at the recent symposium in which detailed the invitation to the three overseas ship designers Izar (Spain) Blohm and Voss (Germany) and Gibbs and Cox (US), to provide concept designs for the new AWD platform.

“These companies specialize in warship design, are highly competent, we expect them to offer us some very interesting concept solutions towards the end of this year,” Mr King said.

It is planned to put the first AWD into service in the RAN in 2013.

On October 16, Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill said that Australian shipbuilders commence bidding for the AWD project, estimated to be worth between $4.5 and $6 billion.

Senator Hill described the AWD project as “one of Australia’s largest and most complex defence projects”.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) was released on October 18.

Defence had developed proposal documents for the project in consultation with independent commercial adviser Carnegie Wylie and Company.

The Request for Proposal for construction of the AWD’s will remain open for about nine weeks.

Defence will evaluate proposal responses with the Government to receive a recommendation on the preferred shipbuilder in early 2005.

The Minister said proposals are being sought on an alliance-style contract basis with the vessels to be built in Australia. Among the criteria will be:

• A commitment to the principles of a longterm risk sharing arrangement with the Commonwealth and other industry partners for the construction of the AWD’s,
• A cost, overhead and pricing structure that will enable the cost effective delivery of the AWD’s, including the ability to build designs considering ‘whole of life’ costs,
• A sound record of past performance in building naval vessels,
• Access to the skilled workforce required in producing ships to the Commonwealth’s requirements,
• Willingness to provide open financial accounting data, including visibility from the sub-contractor level to the Commonwealth,
• Capacity to provide the Commonwealth with transparency and contractual influence over major sub-contractors and
• Capacity to access sensitive technology required for the AWD project.

Companies bidding for the AWDs will be required to include Australian skills and training programs in their responses, with Defence to fund companies for extra skills generation and training benefits in the programs.

Mr King said, “These will be the most modern destroyers in the world.”

“They will be fitted with the most advanced equipment, the latest machinery and from my own military experience I would think that today’s sailors will love them.

I wish I was 20 years old again.”

The AWD program provides a massive opportunity for Australian industry to participate at both the prime and sub-contractor level.

The program will also create new Australian jobs and skills and strengthen Australia’s strategic industrial base.

 

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