Trade-A-Boat — December 2017

The project to extend the
service life for Navy’s Huon
Class Minehunter Coastal
vessels has been granted
First Pass approval.
The Head of Navy
Capability, rear admiral
Jonathan Mead, said the
project aims to ensure
Defence is able to provide
an effective maritime mine
countermeasure capability
out to the 2030s.
Australian defence

industry is expected to

be heavily involved in the

future of the platforms.

Negotiations are underway

with Thales Australia to

engage them as the Prime

Systems Integrator to

deliver the project. Under

Thales’ lead there will be

opportunities for other

Australian companies to

support the Minehunters

through their service life.

Liferaft Systems Australia
has secured contracts worth
approximately $3 million to
supply its Marine Evacuation
Systems (MES) for three
new vessels currently under
construction for the UK
Ministry of Defence.
Managing Director Mike
Grainger said the contract
with BAE Systems UK was to
supply four of its systems for
each of three Type 26 Frigates,
with the first ship to be
delivered in the mid-2020s.
Each system comprises an
inflatable evacuation slide
connected to a 115-person
inflatable liferaft.
Grainger said LSA, which
celebrated 25-years of
operations in September, was

Perthwillhostthe

biggest international

rock lobster biology

and management

conference in October

2020.

Itwillbethesecond

time Perth, which

hosted the inaugural

conference 40 years

ago, has hosted the

International Conference

and Workshop on Lobster

Biology and Management.

Held every three to five

years, the conference

aims to generate and

support international

collaboration in lobster

science and management.

WA Fisheries Minister

Dave Kelly congratulated

everyone involved in

Western Australia’s

rock lobster industry for

continuing to provide a

world-leading fishery that

givesthestateapositive

international reputation.

“Western Australia’s

rock lobster fishery

is world-class and

I’m honoured that

Perth will again host

leading scientists and

experts from about 20

countries, when the 12th

international conference

is held here in 2020,”

Kelly said.

MINEHUNTER LIFE EXTENSION

MOVES FORWARD

International

lobster experts

to meet in WA

UK Frigate

contracts

for Aussie

firms

set to increase its workforce

as production increased.

“LSA currently employs 62

FTEs, with this number set

to increase to approximately

75 FTEs by early next year,”

he said.

“The order book is the

largest we have on record. It

is clearly a very good position

for our business.

“All design and

manufacturing work is

undertaken in Hobart at our

Derwent Park facility with

defence contracts providing

about one quarter of our total

work.”

LSA has previously worked

with BAE Systems on the

supply of MES for two Queen

Elizabeth Class Aircraft

Carriers for the Royal Navy.

Grainger said additional

work could fl ow from

Australia’s nine-ship SEA 5000

Future Frigate program.

“BAE Systems has bid to

supply nine Anti-Submarine

Warfare Frigates to the Royal

Australian Navy,” he said.

Minister for Defence

Industry, Christopher

Pyne, congratulated LSA

and Mackay Consolidated

Industries, which has also

won work on the Type 26

program.

“These two contracts

demonstrate Australian

defence industry’s world-class

capabilities and will support

around 220 Australian jobs,”

Pyne said.

Pyne said he expected

further Australian companies

would benefi t from the Type

26 program in the future.

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