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A SEA 5000 Future Frigates tenderer has brought together defence and engineering firms, forming a team committed to delivering regionally superior power and propulsion systems for Australian naval programs.
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BAE Systems, together with original equipment manufacturers David Brown Santasalo, L3 Technologies, Naval Group, MTU/Penske and Rolls-Royce, has created the Australian Power and Propulsion Team (P&P Team) to support Australia's naval programs, including the Future Frigates project, for which BAE Systems is bidding.
The P&P Team will work to deliver intellectual property and expertise, making it available to industry for defence purposes and creating a collaborative team structure focused on delivering the best P&P solutions to the nation, BAE Systems said.
Key objectives of the P&P Team for Australia's future naval programs will be to:
- Transfer technology and intellectual property to ensure Australia becomes a regional leader in the construction, maintenance and development of electrical power and propulsion systems;
- Create hundreds of Australian jobs through the growth of manufacturing, assembly test and integration of P&P equipment systems in Australia and set up and/or expansion of local OEM offices in Australia;
- Work with local companies, including SMEs, to help develop their capability to support the development of P&P systems;
- Partner with Australian academic institutions to develop the next generation of engineers who will work on P&P systems as part of the SEA 5000 program and explore the potential for technical innovation of P&P systems;
- Investigate the potential for the creation of physical, onshore test and integration facilities to enable operational and maintenance training and leave an enduring facility as a focus for Australian P&P capability; and
- Create pathways to developing a viable P&P systems export industry, positioned to sell into naval shipbuilding programs around the world.
Members of the P&P Team have already demonstrated some of their expertise in the field of power and propulsion systems, such as the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carriers.
BAE Systems SEA 5000 managing director Nigel Stewart said this experience and expertise will help deliver more advanced manufacturing jobs to Australia.
"Between our respective companies we have significant global expertise in power and propulsion systems," Stewart said.
"We are all committed to further develop these technologies in Australia to help create and sustain advanced manufacturing jobs and to help develop skills that will be attractive not just in Australia but for the global market."
Rob Madders, general manager Australia and New Zealand for Rolls-Royce, added that all team members have committed to the transfer of crucial technical information and know-how.
"Growing Australian capability through the construction and maintenance of the complex systems that enable a naval frigate to operate, requires the OEM to commit to fully transferring required technical information," said Madders.
"Through the P&P Team, Rolls-Royce and the other companies which BAE Systems has assembled for its P&P team will do precisely that."
BAE Systems is also partnering with Australian academic institutions to train future engineers who will work on P&P systems should BAE Systems' SEA 5000 bid be successful, and explore the potential for technical innovation of P&P systems for the benefit of Australia’s sovereign defence industry.
