Defence Materiel Organisation News

The Royal Australian Navy’s newest maritime combat helicopter, the MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’, has successfully fired its first ‘Hellfire’ missile in the United States. The AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missile was fired by Navy’s 725 Squadron from aircraft currently deployed to the United States Navy’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre off the Florida coast. Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, said the Seahawk Romeo’s cutting edge mission systems provided a formidable naval platform. “Navy’s next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter will be the cornerstone of our working Navy’s aviation combat capability.

Minister for Defence David Johnston said the second LHD (to be known as 'HMAS Adelaide' once commissioned) was transported from Spain to Australia by a Heavy Lift Ship, 'Blue Marlin'. Blue Marlin has taken eight weeks to travel the 10,000 nautical miles to Melbourne where it will undergo final fitting out. “This is a significant milestone, not just for the Royal Australian Navy but for defence industry here in Melbourne,” Senator Johnston said. “When fitting out is complete, NUSHIP Adelaide and her sister ship NUSHIP Canberra will be the biggest warships ever built for the Navy.

The second and last of the Royal Australian Navy’s new amphibious ships has left the builder's yard, Navantia Ferrol shipyard, Vigo, in northern Spain, bound for Melbourne, informs the Australia Defence Force. “The Canberra-Class LHDs are the largest ships ever built for the Navy and will provide the Australian Defence Force with one of the most capable and sophisticated amphibious deployment capabilities in the world,” Defence Minister Senator David Johnston said. When completed the LHDs will be more than 230 metres long, 27.5 metres high and weigh around 27,500 tonnes.

Defence Minister Senator David Johnston announced the Defence Materiel Organisation has signed a multi-million dollar contract with ASC Pty Ltd to update the control management and monitoring system for the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins Class submarines. Senator Johnston said the Integrated Ship Control Management and Monitoring System is a highly automated computerised system, which enables the crew of a Collins submarine to control, monitor and manage the large number of diverse and complex systems on board the submarines.

Ships are becoming increasingly dependent on complex electronic equipment and electrical power systems, with incidence of engine failure and blackouts increasing. Safety and reliability are paramount, as will be discussed and debated at a new conference taking place in early October. With just over a week before the inaugural Marine Electrical and Control Systems Safety Conference (MECSS 2013) organized by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) opens in Amsterdam, speakers from Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, U.K. and U.S.

HMAS Choules departed Sydney on 13 June 2012 for Queensland where it was scheduled to support Exercise Hamel in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. The next day a defect occurred on one of the six transformers which form part of the ship’s propulsion system which reduced the ship’s propulsion power by 50 per cent. The ship’s Commanding Officer decided to return to Sydney in order to have the defect rectified. The Navy has been advised by the ship’s previous operator, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, that the defect is very unusual.

Hatteland Display announce that our 20.1 inch NMD, full naval display, has been selected,for the C4 environment aboard the new Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers. The Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project, also known as SEA 4000, will provide the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with three technologically advanced air warfare destroyers. The work is led by the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance (AWD) which comprises the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), ASC and Raytheon Australia. The AWD project is one of the largest ongoing naval projects in Australia.

In a speech published on the website of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, it was announced that Australia will make a multi-billion investment to bolster the Australian Navy. The two contracts, one for $3 billion and one for $8 billion, both specify Navantia (Spain) designed warships. The following is direct quotations from the presentation. "Now it's no secret that the two projects involve first of all two large amphibious ships which will be delivered by Tenix and they will cost approximately $3 billion. They are a Navantia design. They will greatly enhance Australia's ability to send forces in strength when required, particularly in our own region…