RALion, a Joint Venture between Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C., Alion Science and Technology Corporation of McLean, Virginia, and Alion Science and Technology (Canada) Corporation of Kanata, Ontario, has just been awarded a contract to design a new Research Vessel for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an agency of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The contract has been awarded by Sembawang Shipyard Pte. Ltd. of Singapore who will build the vessel under contract to Teekay Holding Australia Pty. Ltd. (as Project Managers).
The RALion Joint Venture design team is extremely pleased to be working on this major contract in collaboration with their distinguished clients at Teekay and Sembawang.
This new state of the art, ice-strengthened research vessel will be 292 ft in length, and when completed will replace the existing R/V Southern Surveyor. The new vessel will be one of the largest and most capable oceanographic research vessels in the world, capable of continuous and extended operations throughout the Great Southern Ocean, and operating in the full range of operating environments encountered. It will be based in Hobart, Tasmania and will operate from the tropical north to the Antarctic ice-edge and across the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. It will operate the vessel on behalf of the Australian government for use by the Australian marine research community.
Upon completion and delivery in the second quarter of 2013, the vessel will provide a safe and advanced diverse marine science capability to Australia.