Navantia Australia has been awarded a Designer Support Contract (DSC) to provide comprehensive design and engineering services for all Navantia-designed ships in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). This marks the company’s first direct contract with the Commonwealth of Australia (CoA).
The contract covers the Hobart Class Destroyers (DDGs), Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs), LHD Landing Craft (LLCs), and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Vessels (AORs). It follows a competitive tender process and extensive negotiations with the Department of Defence.
A signing ceremony took place today at Fleet Headquarters in Sydney, attended by key officials, including Rear Admiral Chris Smith, Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Steve Tiffen, Head of Maritime Sustainment, and Israel Lozano, Managing Director of Navantia Australia.
The contract is seen as a crucial step in Navantia Australia’s collaboration with the Commonwealth, reflecting its role as the Platform Design Agent for all Navantia-designed vessels as per the Strategic Agreement Principles signed previously. The DSC will provide end-to-end change management and engineering services for the assets covered by the contract.
Navantia Australia’s Managing Director, Israel Lozano, highlighted that the DSC consolidates several of the company’s existing contracts with the RAN into one unified agreement. This will enable the company to work more closely with the CoA to explore sustainable and innovative solutions for asset management.
The appointment of Navantia Australia as the sole DSC provider allows the CoA to improve cross-platform efficiencies and enhance supply chain support. It also provides an opportunity for sovereign innovation in the defense sector.
Jamie Gibbs, Chief Operations Officer of Navantia Australia, emphasized that the DSC is the largest contract in the company’s 13-year history and will provide long-term stability for the workforce and industry.
The contract also offers Navantia Australia the chance to strengthen its local engineering capabilities by expanding training pathways and fostering collaborations with academia and industry to support future defense workforce needs.
