Navantia partners two Australian shipyards to offer six corvettes for the country
The ship is based on the Avante class manufactured for the Saudi Navy although adapted to the Antipodean Navy requirements
The Australian subsidiary of Navantia has joined forces with two shipyards in the country—Austal and Civmec—to offer the Antipodean Navy a joint offer for the design and manufacture of six corvettes. The proposal was first presented to the Commonwealth in response to the 2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR) and the independent analysis of the Navy’s surface combatant fleet. They officially presented this union today, on the occasion of Indopacific trade fair, in which the president of the company, Ricardo Domínguez, participated.
According to the company, the corvettes, clarify as Tasman, would be constructed entirely in Henderson, Western Australia, with «production able to start rapidly as work on the design is well advanced and based on an operational reference vessel».
“Together Austal, Civmec and Navantia Australia have a combined 58 years of local shipbuilding experience. Each partner brings a crucial component for delivering a project of this scale, with Navantia providing the design expertise, Austal the skilled workforce and Civmec the state-of-the-art facilities and experience in constructing the Arafura Class vessels. Together with Navantia’s demonstratable track record in transferring technology to build regional capability, this partnership will establish an integrated shipbuilding enterprise in Western Australia, where he directed the manufacturing of three destroyers with an F-100 design, at the ASC facilities in Adelaide.” Mr Lozano said.
Austal's CEO, Paddy Gregg, highlighted the company's experience "in building ships for the Australian Navy on time and at a price, with third-party designs and in establishing collaborative relationships with the entire value chain." Civmec president Jim Fitzgerald said he was “excited to work with Navantia and Austal to deliver six or more corvettes, on time and at price,” and highlighted the potential of all capabilities.
Navantia’s proposed corvette is based on a proven design, referencing the proven Avante class family, manufactured by Navantia in the Andalusian shipyard of San Fernando for the Saudi Arabian Navy. Although the proposed Australian variant has several key capability characteristics important to Royal Australian Navy operations that set it apart from other corvettes. These include superior endurance and range allowing effective regional force projection, greater seakeeping capabilities, and enhanced strike capabilities through NSM Anti Surface launchers and MK-41 vertical launch system cells. The corvettes would also integrate existing Australian payloads, including the Saab 9LV combat management system, the CEA FAR OPVR radar, the newly announced Naval Strike Missiles, and the MH60-R Seahawk helicopter.
The corvettes will feature equipment and systems that will allow interaction with other Australian Navy ships.
Navantia also presented another proposal to the country's Navy for the manufacture of other three Hobart-class destroyers.
Source: La Voz de Galicia