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The consultancy firm has been selected to support Serco and Civmec’s joint venture to deliver next-generation littoral manoeuvre capability to the Australian Army.
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The Australian Maritime Alliance (AMA) — a joint venture between Serco and Civmec — has partnered with Fremantle-based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy firm IMC - Naval Architects as part of its bid for the Commonwealth’s LAND 8710 Phase 1A project.
IMC has been tasked with supporting AMA’s development of an evolved littoral manoeuvre vessel – medium (LMV-M) design, dubbed “Oboe”.
Serco Defence managing director Clint Thomas AM, CSC, said the partnership would ensure the longevity of sovereign shipbuilding capability.
“Partnering with IMC demonstrates the importance of maximising Australian industry capability while drawing upon Serco’s global shipbuilding expertise to ensure AMA delivers the best possible solutions and advancements for the Australian Defence Force,” Thomas said.
“Essentially, we are bringing together a national team to deploy the skills and strengths of Australian industry, reflecting a rigorously developed strategy to deliver sustained SME growth and professionalisation.”
The AMA’s Oboe offering reportedly features a through-deck design, supporting greater flexibility load/offload options and “rapid ramp-to-ramp marriages” with amphibious and sealift ships.
According to AMA, the design offers advanced seakeeping and load-carrying capabilities, leveraging a three-deck design providing accommodation and engineering space for crew.
This includes large dedicated full-width compartments, providing 200 square metres of useable vehicle deck to facilitate mixed load configurations.
IMC - Naval Architects’ managing director, Justin McPherson, welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the strengthening of Western Australia’s industry capabilities.
“As an independent Australian design house based in Fremantle, we are proud to partner with AMA and leverage our 25 years [of] practical ship design experience, including a range of commercial landing craft designs for operations in Australia’s northern waters,” McPherson said.
“We look forward to supporting the delivery of LAND 8710 Phase 1A as part of our commitment to the Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Program.
“IMC and AMA share a view on the importance of strengthening Western Australia’s industry capabilities and there is significant value in partnering with global industry leaders to support the Commonwealth in growing Australia’s ship design and shipbuilding sector.”
AMA, now supported by IMC, is competing with a number of ventures for LAND 8710 Phase 1A, including a joint venture between Navantia Australia and UGL, and a team led by Raytheon Australia, BMT and Austal.
[Related: Navantia Australia, UGL unveil joint bid for LAND 8710-1 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel Medium]
