James Fisher Defence (JFD) Australia is set to continue delivering submarine escape and rescue services for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Collins-class diesel electric attack submarine fleet.
The four-year more than A$90m ($56.80m) contract extension is expected to ensure the operational readiness of the Collins-class submarines as well as sustain 46 jobs at the JFD Australia facility in Bibra Lake, south of Perth.
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Defence Minister Industry Pat Conroy said: “Investing in this sovereign capability ensures our local industrial base is able to retrieve a submarine crew anywhere in the world.
“JFD Australia is a world leading underwater provider of these systems and this contract extension ensures the highly skilled operators of these capabilities remain in Australia.”
Since 2009, JFD Australia has been the trusted provider of these services to the RAN.
The submarine rescue system, stationed in Western Australia, is a setup that encompasses a remotely operated vehicle, a submarine rescue vehicle, and a hyperbaric equipment suite essential for life-saving medical treatment.
The RAN’s six Collins-class submarines were designed and constructed by the Swedish Navy to be as silent as current technology permits.
The Australian government has committed to invest between A$4bn and A$5bn in the life-of-type extension programme to maintain the operational effectiveness of the Collins-class submarines.
The government has invested an additional A$100m which will extend JFD Australia’s contract for another five years as the Category Integrator for Support Services to the Australian Defence Force’s diving and hyperbaric equipment.
This contract encompasses operating, engineering, maintenance, supply, and training services related to the ADF’s dive equipment and support systems.
The maintenance and support work for this equipment will be carried out at JFD Australia’s facilities nationwide.
This includes the production of recompression chambers in Beresfield, in the NSW Hunter region, upkeep of rebreathers and hyperbaric chambers in Caringbah, southern Sydney, and the management of the submarine escape and rescue systems in Bibra Lake.
The diving and hyperbaric equipment enable a variety of joint force operations such as mine countermeasures, maritime explosive ordnance disposal, and underwater battle damage repair.
