MORE THAN 120 VICTORIAN COMPANIES JOIN AUSTALFASSMER’S INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT FORUM ON OFFSHORE PATROL VESSELS

More than 120 Victorian defence and manufacturing companies attended AustalFassmer’s industry engagement forum today in Melbourne to learn about Austal and Fassmer’s joint venture bid for the Australian Government’s $3 billion Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) program.

Austal’s Vice President Defence, Davyd Thomas AO CSC, along with Mr Gary Hogan, Acting Manager of the Victorian Defence Sector Development Team spoke on the opportunities for suppliers to join the project.

“AustalFassmer is the only one of three bidders 100 per cent committed to completing the detailed design work for the OPV’s in Australia,” Mr Thomas said.

“Austal is proud to be Australia’s largest defence exporter and together with Fassmer we are committed to seeing Australian industry benefit as much as possible from the OPV program,” he said.

“More than 1,000 Australian firms already make up Austal’s supply chain and they help us deliver naval vessels for the Australian Government and US Government, as well as commercial projects for operators around the world.

“It is very important for us to engage with industry to ensure companies are aware of what is happening, how they can become involved and the opportunities for the future,” Mr Thomas said

The OPV program will see 12 vessels built for the Royal Australian Navy, with the first two ships to be constructed in Adelaide, with the remaining ten in in Western Australia.

MEDIA CONTACT

Contact:               Gemma Whiting, Austal Ltd

Phone:                 +61 408 982 726

Email:                  gemma.whiting@austal.com

Website:              www.austal.com

About Austal

Austal is a global defence prime contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defence and commercial ships. For more than 28 years Austal has been a leader in the design, construction and maintenance of revolutionary ships for Governments, Navies and Ferry operators around the world. More than 255 vessels have been delivered in that time.

Ships

Defence vessels designed and built by Austal include multi-mission combatants, such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the United States Navy and military high speed vessels for transport and humanitarian relief, such as the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) for the United States Navy and High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) for the Royal Navy of Oman.

Austal also designs, constructs, integrates and maintains an extensive range of patrol and auxiliary vessels for government agencies globally, including the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program for the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Border Force. Defence vessels are designed and constructed in Mobile, Alabama and in Henderson, Western Australia.

Austal has been at the forefront of the high speed ferry market since the early days of the industry. Our market leading designs of high performance aluminum vessels have long been at the heart of Austal’s research and development. Today, commercial ship construction is centered on our shipyard in Balamban, Philippines.

Systems

Austal has expertise in integrating complex systems into its ships, including ride control, ship management, and communication, sensors and weapon systems.

Support

Austal provides a wide range of support services, including through life support, integrated logistics support, vessel sustainment and systems support. These services are delivered through our global support network in the USA, Australia, Asia and the Middle East together with partner shipyards worldwide.