Luerssen Australia press release
Tammar Contractors is headed up by Larry Kickett, a former WA Footballer, and Simon Brennan, Managing Director of BRE Engineering, whose company is also a local supplier on the OPV Program. The contract will see Tammar Contractors supply a team of riggers and support staff to work on the OPV Program.
Luerssen Australia Chief Executive Officer, Jens Nielsen, said it’s another win for local businesses wanting to get involved in the defence industry.
“We are extremely proud to be engaging more and more local suppliers on the OPV Program, and we are happy to be working with Tammar Contractors, a registered First Nations supplier. Luerssen Australia is an Australian company, employing Australian workers, in Australian shipyards, using Australian steel to build Royal Australian Navy vessels.”
Tammar Contractors Director, Larry Kickett, said he was thrilled to be joining forces with Luerssen Australia.
“We are very happy to be teaming up with Luerssen Australia on the OPV Program and we look forward to working collaboratively to grow our capabilities and contribute to the shipbuilding sector in WA.”
Currently the OPV Program is achieving an impressive Australian Industry Content (AIC) percentage of 63%, with the aim of increasing this further. Luerssen Australia’s focus on growing the local supply chain is providing opportunities to WA owned small and medium-sized enterprises to grow and improve their capabilities.
With the Federal Government investing billions of dollars into the Western Australian shipbuilding sector over the next decade, Luerssen Australia sees a very bright future for the industry and is committed to investing for the long term.
Luerssen Australia is drawing on almost 150 years ofshipbuilding and sustainment knowledge to support the development of a sovereign naval shipbuilding capability in Australia.
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Naval News comments: About Arfafura-class OPV program
Australia is procuring 12 Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessels through Project SEA1180 Phase 1 to replace its fleet of Armidale class patrol boats with larger, more capable, vessels. In 2017 Luerssen Australia was selected as prime contractor for the project with the first two ships to be built in Adelaide, South Australia, and the remaining 10 to be built in Perth, Western Australia.
While the first vessel was originally planned to enter service in 2022, the program has encountered delays. The first ship was only launched in December 2021 and commissioning of NUSHIP Arafura is now not scheduled until 2024. Notably, NUSHIP Arafura was launched without a main gun after Defence cancelled a contract with Leonardo Australia to provide a bespoke 40mm main gun for the class, citing “technical certification concerns”. In the interim, Defence plans to field 25mm Bushmaster cannons taken from decommissioned Arimdale class vessels.
As of October 2023, nearly two years after launch NUSHIP Arafura not yet commenced sea trials and it remains unclear when it will do so, with some elements in Defence seeing it as ill-equipped for the circumstances facing Australia. In an effort to address these concerns, Naval News understands, the RAN is examining options for up-arming the vessels.
In May 2020, before NUSHIP Arafura was launched, the Australian Government announced that it had awarded Austal a contract for six Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boats in a bid to “reduce the risk” of the transition from Armidale to Arafura. In 2022 an additional two Evolved Cape Class boats were ordered, bringing the total to eight.