When a Navy ship sails, most people picture helicopters launching, bridge teams navigating or sailors lining the deck. 

What they don’t see is the trade that keeps the ship alive beneath the surface.

In the Royal Australian Navy, marine technicians are the quiet force that makes everything else possible. 

They are the ones ensuring a warship can fight through fire, flooding or system failures and keep going.

On board ships like HMAS Canberra, marine technicians maintain the propulsion plant, hull fixtures and damage control systems that keep the ocean out and the crew safe. 

Watertight doors, hatches, valves, pipework, fire-main systems – if it protects the ship or keeps it habitable, a marine technician has had hands on it. 

They also maintain services like fresh water heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, and waste management systems, the unseen essentials that allow hundreds of sailors and embarked forces to live and operate at sea.

It is physical, technical and often demanding work in hot, confined spaces and a moving deck under a sailor’s boots. 

Plus, the knowledge that the systems they work on must function perfectly when it matters most.

Able Seaman Lachlan De Laine said the reward comes from knowing his work has a direct impact. 

When a repair is completed or a critical system is signed off as operational, he understands exactly what he contributed.

“It’s challenging,” Able Seaman De Laine said. 

“But if you take pride in your work and stay switched on, it’s a really rewarding career.”

Marine technicians are problem-solvers by trade, balancing planned maintenance with unexpected breakdowns. 

They prepare for emergencies most people hope will never happen, and when something goes wrong, they are part of the reason the ship stays in the fight.

Marine technicians start their careers with trade training. They build qualifications, sea experience and leadership skills that open doors to supervisory, specialist and instructor roles. 

In this trade, progression is earned.

Marine technician isn’t just a job title, it’s a trade that keeps the Navy afloat and in the fight.

If you’re hands-on, motivated and want to be part of something bigger, get in touch with your career manager or ADF Careers.