Joint Austal and Defence Maritime Services Bid for RAN Replacement Patrol Boat Project

Austal Limited and Defence Maritime Services (DMS) today announced an agreement to jointly tender for the replacement Patrol Boat project for the Royal Australian Navy (SEA 1444).

This tender, for the first time, combines the need for construction, through life logistics support, training and possibly the financing of the boats in a single contract.

Austal, a leader in commercial, high performance vessel design and construction and DMS, the specialist provider of services, training and logistic support to the Royal Australian Navy, are both highly respected locally and internationally for their skills and experience.

In a joint announcement Bob McKinnon (Managing director of Austal) and Ross Brewer (Chairman of DMS and Managing Director of P&O Maritime Services) said, “the combination of Austal and DMS draws on the existing strengths of both organisations and will deliver an excellent outcome to the RAN through cost effective and quality ships together with first class through life support services”.

Austal’s role in the joint tender will be the design and eventual construction of the patrol boats. DMS will provide logistic and maintenance support of the patrol vessels through their operational life in addition to training of naval crews.

Austal is known for its marine engineering and construction capability and their experience includes the design and construction of eight 38 metre Bay Class Patrol Boats for Australian Customs Service delivered throughout 1999 and 2000.

“Austal has an outstanding record of successfully competing worldwide for the design and construction of high performance vessels in aluminium or steel, ranging from 30 to 100 metre in length”, Mr McKinnon said.

“Austal has manufactured nearly $1 billion worth of vessels including patrol boats, passenger and vehicle-passenger ferries, cruise vessels, and luxury motor yachts.”

DMS is a highly successful joint venture between P&O Maritime Services (who operate and maintain over 30 specialist vessels within the Australasian region including a number of Australian Government contracts with departments including the Australian Antarctic Division, CSIRO, Australian Fisheries Management and AMSA) and Serco (the task management services provider with several contracts with the Australian Department of Defence) and extensive experience in privately financed government projects worth some A$5.0 billion around the world.

DMS was established in 1997 to provide specialised support and asset management services to the Royal Australian Navy . This followed P&O and Serco’s successful tender for the outsourcing of the RAN Port Services and Support Craft contract which saw the company purchase over $50 million worth of ships and other small craft. All the craft, including two 72 metre multi-purpose vessels equipped for submarine escape and rescue, are maintained and supported throughout the world by the very successful infrastructure established by DMS.