016
INDUSTRY NEWS
RUAG Australia to secure F-35 wheels and brakes RUAG Australia is the first Australian company to be granted Authority To Proceed from the US Government F-35 Joint Program Office to establish F-35 Wheels and Brakes sustainment capability in the Asia-Pacific region. RUAG Australia has secured inaugural F-35 wheels and brakes sustainment capability in Asia-Pacific region. With Phase 1 and 2 now successfully completed, RUAG Australia received JPO ATP and will now proceed into Phase 3 and 4 to become an official Depot Source of Repair (DSOR). The wheels and brakes sustainment capability will be exclusive to RUAG in the APAC region and support ongoing maintenance and sustainment of the fifth generation F-35 fleet. RUAG Australia will transition its highly skilled and experienced defence and aerospace technical staff from current legacy programs into the F-35 Global Support Systems (GSS). The ATP achievement is a critical step for developing Australia’s industrial sovereign capability and delivering our commitment as one of the joint partner nations in the F-35 Program. “RUAG Australia is the first Australian industry Component Assigned Product Service Provider (A-PSP) to complete the F-35 JPO Depot Maintenance Development Plan (DMDP) process through Phases 1 and 2, and I congratulate you and your team in achieving this important milestone” said Kirrilee McNeill, Director Industry Aerospace Combat Systems Branch, Aerospace Systems Division. Terry Miles, General Manager of RUAG Australia, notes “We have seized the opportunity to deliver
reliable wheels and brakes solutions for the F-35 Program, by leveraging our expertise and long-standing success of providing MRO sustainment for complex aircraft components, and the fifth generation of military aircraft sustainment.” “The Australian team has embraced continuous improvement and capability development at a local level to improve global competitiveness. Long-standing relationships with customers and business affiliates will strengthen RUAG Australia’s sovereign capability in the APAC region,” said Felix Amman, Executive Vice President, RUAG MRO International. RUAG Australia is an independent supplier and life cycle support provider of systems and components on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force and other international air forces, as well as civil aviation, worldwide. The company combines engineering expertise with landing gear hydraulic actuator manufacture, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and metal treatment and finishing in their role as a widely approved organization. RUAG Australia ranks as Top SME on behalf of the Australian Defence Force, features as a supplier in the Australian Defence Export Office’s Australian Military Sales Catalogue and has been inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame. ruag.com.au
Cape-class patrol boats to be built in Henderson Austal Australia to supply two additional Evolved Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy. Austal Limited has announced the Department of Defence will order an additional two Evolved Capeclass Patrol Boats (ECCPB’s) for the Royal Australian Navy, for $124m. The two new vessels are in addition to the six Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats that are currently being delivered by Austal Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said, “We are incredibly proud to be supporting the Royal Australian Navy by providing and enhancing fleet capability; working in collaboration with the Department of Defence and Industry partners. “This announcement for additional Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats further strengthens and supports Australian sovereign shipbuilding capability and provides Austal, and our outstanding supply chain partners, with a level of continuity that will provide stability and security for the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise. Austal will also continue to invest and develop our facilities in Henderson to ensure we have the capability and capacity for the fu-ture programme of work,” Gregg said. Austal delivered the first of the Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats, the ADV Cape Otway last month. Eight Evolved Cape Patrol Boats to be delivered through to 2024. The Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boat is an evolution of Austal’s proven Cape-class Patrol Boat platform, first developed for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (now Australian Border Force) in 2013. With eight Capes delivered to the ABF over 2013-2015 and an additional two Capes delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in 2017,
AMT JUN 2022
there are now ten Capeclass Patrol Boats operating around Australia. In 2021, Austal Australia delivered a further two Cape-class Patrol Boats to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard – the first exports of a vessel class which has become a benchmark for offshore patrol capability around the world. Based on the original 58m aluminium monohull design, the Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats include several enhancements that further extend the capability of the vessel and the fleet. Crew capacity has been increased by 10 people, to now total 32 and quality-of-life provisions have been enhanced, ensuring those who operate the new vessels have connectivity to the outside world, regardless of the operating environment. The Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats will be utilised for a wide variety of constabulary and naval missions and play a critical role in Australia’s national security, as a high-performing, reliable and effective maritime asset for the Royal Australian Navy. In addition to the Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boat Project (SEA14451), Austal Australia is also currently delivering 21 Guardian-class Patrol Boats for the Australian Department of Defence under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1), with 14 patrol boats delivered since 2018. Austal provides in-service support to both the Cape and Guardianclass Patrol Boat fleets through dedicated service centres located in Henderson, Western Australia; Cairns, Queensland; and Darwin, Northern Territory.