A further ten Naval Group Australia engineers are departing for Cherbourg in France over the coming fortnight and will join 40 local colleagues who are already there working to gather submarine design and industry skills, as part of the program to deliver 12 new Attack Class submarines.
Naval Group has a century of experience in submarine design and construction in France and around the world, and is now transferring that expertise and knowledge to Australia under the Strategic Partnering Agreement. The Naval Group Australia staff who travel to France spend up to three years receiving on-the- job training, before returning home to continue work on the Attack Class. They will then form a core of local experts who will assist the development of the next generation of Australian staff.
Naval Group Australia Chief Executive Officer John Davis said the transfer of expertise from France to Australia was boosting local skills and capacity for submarine design and construction.
“This is just one of the fantastic opportunities which exists for Australian workers as part of an Attack Class submarine project which is creating hundreds of rewarding local jobs,” Davis said. “The Australians who are going to France as part of this placement program will be learning about the application of advanced technologies from some of the world’s top submarine experts.
“They will return home with the know-how and know-why of what is required to deliver 12 new and advanced submarines for Australia, and be able to share that knowledge with colleagues here. We will build regionally-superior submarines for Australia by ensuring the nation has the skills it needs to be at the cutting edge of design and innovation for decades to come.”
The Attack Class submarines are being designed for the Commonwealth of Australia’s unique requirements, with access to Naval Group’s innovation and established technical expertise. Naval Group global Chief Executive Officer Pierre Eric Pommellet visited Australia in February for meetings with government officials, local staff and businesses in the Attack Class supply chain. Pommellet said Naval Group looked forward to welcoming even more Australians to France.
“So much progress is being made on the Attack Class project, from the construction of a new and modern shipyard to the deepening engagement with local supply chain businesses,” he said. “But there is still much more to come. These Australians are pioneers in a project that will bring 50 years of benefits to their country, and deliver important sovereign submarine capabilities.”
When the latest group of local workers arrives in France, the team of Australians there will reach 47 in the engineering team and three others in staff training and supply chain development. The latest group of ten Australians departing for France will specialise in mechanical platform systems, design technologies, structural engineering and integrated logistics support.
Naval Group Australia’s direct workforce is expected to reach 1,700 during the submarine build phase, which will be based at the new shipyard under construction at Osborne in South Australia. More than 2000 businesses in Australia have now also registered their interest with the Naval Group Australia Industry Capability Network portal. This provides an opportunity to become part of the wider domestic supply chain that is being built to sustain the 50-year submarine program.