The Australian Navy Group has publicly expressed its interest in purchasing local tools, equipment and finished products worth 100 million Australian dollars for use in Adelaide’s new attack-class shipyard.  

With the construction of the new shipyard ahead of the construction of the submarine hull certification part in 2023, the Australian Navy Group has provided local suppliers with the opportunity to deliver 1,000 different items. This includes buying off-the-shelf and customized products from suppliers.  

The procurement plan is published through the Australian Naval Group's industry capability web portal. The required items include hand tools and machine tools, transport carts, office equipment, welding machines, scaffolding, whiteboards, water tanks, sinks and pumps, personal protective equipment, workshop workbenches and plasma cutting machines.  

The announcement is a supplement to the Naval Group’s nearly $900 million local manufacturing plan, which seeks Australian Tier 1 partners to build more than 20 pieces of highly complex equipment, which will be included in 12 new attack-class submarines.  

According to John Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Navy Group, the attack-class submarine design and construction project will bring 50 years of benefits to local workers and suppliers.  

"Australia's future submarine program is on the cusp of an exciting new phase, because a brand new modern new shipyard has been raised from the ground and construction preparations have begun," Davis said.  

“As we continue to develop the local supply chain, it is significant that Australian suppliers have the opportunity to participate in the latest A$100 million investment in tools and equipment in the shipyard.  

"Our target of this acquisition is small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia, and aims to establish long-term cooperative relations, which will continue in this decades-long submarine project."  

Pierre Eric Pommellet, chief executive officer of the Navy Group, said that the "attack class" project is making significant progress.  

Pommellet said: "In the long run, ensuring that at least 60% of the value of attack-level contracts is spent locally will create hundreds of jobs in Australia's new supply chain."  

"The local team is working hard to establish a new supply chain, create sovereign capabilities, and design a new advanced submarine, which will be built for Australia's unique conditions."  

The Navy Group is working closely with the Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI), which is responsible for the construction of the shipyard. The first turf of the Future Submarine Shipyard north of Osborne started in December 2018, and the construction of the platform's land-based test facility has progressed, and the facility is scheduled to be handed over to the Australian Navy Group next year. It has a manufacturing hall and a main assembly hall. It is one of the three major structures of the new Osborne submarine construction site in Adelaide, used to deliver attack-class ships.  

The platform's ground-based test facility will be used to verify and improve the performance of key attack-class submarine propulsion systems. This will allow the submarine's main propulsion system to be checked in a controlled environment before entering the entire platform.  

More than 2,000 companies in Australia have registered interest on the Industry Capability Network portal. This provides an opportunity to become part of a broader supply chain to maintain 50 years of submarine expertise

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