Login
iscover
The federal government has awarded a five-year $50 million contract to Thales Australia for the operation and maintenance of Captain Cook Graving Dock in Sydney.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Thales Australia, a subsidiary of French conglomerate Thales Group, will coordinate and conduct the docking of naval vessels that require out-of-water maintenance, repair and overhaul and play a key role in Defence’s national approach to sustainment under the new Maritime Sustainment Model, according to a public announcement published on 12 December.
The continued operation of the graving dock at Garden Island Defence Precinct is vital to the sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy fleet, according to Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
“This partnership with Thales Australia will deliver sustainment to our complex naval capability, further strengthening sovereign defence industry relationships while also creating 30 new jobs and supporting hundreds more,” he said.
“Enhancing the capability of our vessels is key, but we must meet enduring sustainment demand through advanced and reliable infrastructure.
“This approach will allow our naval vessels to be ready and up to the job when and where they’re needed.
“This contract is a key enabler to the development of a predictable long-term sustainment demand and further integrates Australian businesses into the supply chain, contributing to a stronger, sovereign defence industry.”
The asset management of Garden Island Defence Precinct’s reticulated services and supporting systems will be managed by Thales Australia.
The contract is expected to create up to 30 direct defence industry jobs and support an industrial ship repair workforce of approximately 300 people in the Sydney region.
Earlier this year, the Anzac-class frigate HMAS Arunta conducted its scheduled refit at the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Fleet Base East, ahead of deployment next year.
The Captain Cook Graving Dock was originally built during World War II, reclaiming 30 acres between Potts Point and Garden Island. It is considered one of the country’s greatest engineering feats; it has since been recognised as a National Engineering Landmark by Engineers Australia in June 2021.
The graving dock was initially flooded in September 1944 and later opened in March 1945 with River-class frigate HMAS Lachlan, breaking a ribbon extended across the entrance. The first ship to actually use the 347-metre dry dock was the 225-metre aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, which underwent emergency drydocking to repair action damage and ship vibration in Sydney in early February 1945, ahead of the official opening.
