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The companies announced that they had entered into an agreement to develop advanced sustainment operations at Fleet Base East as part of the Commonwealth’s National Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Enterprise.
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The agreement is expected to leverage Thales’ global pedigree in naval ship sustainment alongside ORBIS’ expertise in developing and delivering the US Navy’s current and future maritime sustainment solutions.
As part of their sustainment solutions for the US Navy, ORBIS has worked across the US Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command, Warfare Centers, Program Executive Offices, and the National Industrial Base to create solutions to the Navy’s infrastructure challenges.
The US Navy’s sustainment program informed the Royal Australian Navy’s Plan Galileo.
Drawing from the companies’ global operations, the agreement is expected to cover technological innovation and shipyard infrastructure optimisation, as well as means of enhancing Australia’s naval sustainment industrial base.
It is hoped that the partnership will support interoperability between Australian and allied ships, ensuring readiness and availability.
The pair recently completed preliminary feasibility studies to support their operations at Fleet Base East.
Thales Australia has supported the Royal Australian Navy and commercial fleets from Fleet Base East for over 20 years.
According to Max Kufner, vice-president, Above Water Systems, Thales Australia and New Zealand, the partnership will enhance the “performance” of Australia’s naval capabilities.
“This partnership will help deliver greater integration of platform and infrastructure through digitisation and automation of the maritime sustainment environment, which is necessary to increase the readiness, availability, and performance of RAN fleets and assets,” he explained.
“Leveraging the world-leading technologies available to us through our reach back into the Thales Group, as well as establishing key partnerships such as this one, will allow us to leverage the deep knowledge, experience, and best practice capabilities ORBIS has in its engagement with the US Navy that will help the RAN shape, deter, and respond.”
With an increasingly important US presence in the Indo-Pacific, Greg Thomas, vice-president, submarine initiatives at ORBIS, explained that a partnership which enhances the naval sustainment of both nations is fundamental to success.
“The US Navy’s 60/40 split — 60 per cent of forces in the Pacific Theater, and the multiple national level alliances and relationships established to counter the emergent threats, inspire building a partnership with Thales, a company with a shared vision, strong sense of thoughtful urgency, and the ability to apply comprehensive system to assuring allied Navy success,” he explained.
