Australia's military innovation to be driven by Tasmanian maritime college

Tasmania will be the home of a new training centre for highly qualified Navy engineers, as Australia embarks on a multi-billion dollar naval shipbuilding program.

 

The Training Centre for Transforming Australia's Naval Manufacturing Industry will be based at the University of Tasmania's Australian Maritime College in Launceston.

 

It will partner with the University of Wollongong and Flinders University to train 10 PhD students and 3 postdoctoral fellows to drive the research and development required by the Defence Force.

The project's lead investigator Jon Binns says the Research Training Centre will focus on naval design and manufacturing.

 

"We have focus somewhat around the future submarines, future frigates and patrol boat programs but this is transferable technology that they'll be developing," he said.

 

"For example in the sustainment area we're looking at trying to integrate how you monitor navy boats and integrate that back into the design so that we should be able to get boats that perform better and longer."

 

Australian Maritime College Principal, Professor Neil Bose, says the project will have far-reaching outcomes.

 

"It includes the training and career advancement of highly qualified engineers needed to support the design and manufacture of the SEA1000 future submarines, whose [sic.] construction alone will be Australia's largest engineering project," he said.

 

Peter Rathjen from UTAS says the engineering and research students will work on year-long projects, which will be developed in partnership with industry and defence.

 

"The crux of this scheme is that our students will get the opportunity to get industry placements and that that will help them to develop more relevant skills," he said.

 

Bass MP Andrew Nikolic says the funding for the $3.8 million naval centre has come from the Australian Research Council and industry groups.

 

"Some of the biggest projects in the defence force over the next 20 to 30 years will be maritime projects," he said.

 

Brian Yates from the Australian Research Council hopes the new centre will lead to more innovation in the defence force.

 

"The people that will be trained through this centre will have that high level of skills that will help that industry be competitive both nationally and internationally," he said.

Students start their work at the centre in December.

Navy ship HMAS Bundaberg goes up in flames in Brisbane's east

 

A large navy ship fire east of Brisbane has been brought under control after three hours.

 

Firefighters in breathing apparatus remain at a commercial boat shed on Barku Court in Hemmant, about 11 kilometres east of the CBD. Earlier, about 50 firefighers and 16 fire trucks were called to the scene.

 

Authorities have confirmed the ship on fire is the HMAS Bundaberg, a navy vessel that was in Brisbane for routine maintenance.

 

Fire crews were called to the shipyards on the Brisbane River at 11.52am after an automated alarm went off.

Initial reports were that a 70-foot boat was ablaze, however the HMAS Bundaberg is much larger.

The Armidale-class patrol boat is about 56 metres long and was commissioned in 2007.

According to the Navy website, the HMAS Bundaberg (II) and 13 sister vessels are used for fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement operations

"Defence understands that at least two civilian contractors suffered smoke inhalation and were treated at the scene," A Defence spokesman said in a statement.

"No members of the Navy crew were injured in the incident. 

 

"The cause of the fire is not known at this time

"An assessment of damage and an investigation into the cause of the fire will be undertaken once it is safe to do so."

Then-Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on board the HMAS Bundaberg in 2012

 

 

Fire On Board Royal Australian Navy Submarine

Thursday afternoon, February 27th 2014, HMAS Waller, one of the Royal Australian Navy’s submarines, experienced a fire whilst on the surface off the West Australian coast. Emergency response actions were taken to extinguish the fire.

There were no causalities. As a precaution four members of the ship’s crew who were involved in the response to the fire have been landed for observation.

HMAS Waller had recently completed a scheduled maintenance period and was at sea as part of her return to operations. A full investigation into the incident will be held.  At this stage no further details are available.