Arafura class

[MikeJames]

The project, after a slow (and late) start, is starting to get rolling with the keel laying of the 5th Arafura class, Illawarra.



This is the third of the class to be built in WA, after Australian Submarine Corporation built the first two, Arafura and Eyre. The transfer of OPV construction to CIVMEC in WA was supposed to allow the ASC workforce in Osborne to seamlessly transition to the Hunter class, but...well.

CIVMEC have three OPVs under construction, Gippsland, Pilbara and now Illawarra, with Carpentaria to follow. They are supposed to build 10 in total but the remaining six boats don't have names yet.

I kind of hope sanity prevails and they name the remaining OPVs after ports, to preserve long standing navy traditions (Bathurst, Fremantle and Armidale class names).

Wollongong, Geelong, Launceston, Pirie, Fremantle and Townsville would be good.

Mike

[MikeJames]

Nuship Arafura has finally gone to sea for the first time, after sitting alongside for almost 2 and a half years.

The 30 month delay sitting alongside at Osborne in SA was due to the ship not meeting civilian maritime fire safety standards, which meant that the ship was uninsurable, preventing it being sent to sea. Navy would not accept the ship without successful sea trials (and it meeting Navy's far more stringent fire safety standards).

NUSHIP Arafura begins Builders Sea Trials

Arafura 04.jpg (81.28 KiB) Viewed 2274 times

ADM understands that NUSHIP Arafura (OPV 203) commenced a series of Builders Sea Trials (BST) on 26 August. The milestone comes more than two and a half years after the ship was launched at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.

According to the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), sea trials were originally planned to take place before December 2022. However, they were delayed due to structural fire protection design issues that hindered the ship's ability to meet seaworthiness standards.

The initial trial lasted just one night, with Arafura returning to the Osborne Naval Shipyard on 27 August. It departed the shipyard again on 29 August for more trials in the Gulf of St Vincent off Adelaide.

Defence maintains that Arafrua will be commissioned into service this year, although it is unclear if Initial Operational Capability (IOC) will be achieved as well. According to the ANAO, following delivery of the ship to Defence - which is still pending - it will take at least 37 weeks before IOC can be achieved.

The status of Arafrua’s sistership, NUSHIP Eyre (OPV 204) launched in November 2023, is unclear. ADM understands that the first ship being built by Civmec at Henderson in Western Australia, NUSHIP Pilbara (OPV 205), is still at least a year away from its launch.

[kitlowran]

Shot from a mate who works at the port operator

arafura_underway.jpg (242.35 KiB) Viewed 2266 times

[littoralcombat]

Nice looking Ship.
However, considering she was due to be handed over to the RAN in September 2021 it's not a good look for all concerned. Of course, as with all such failures, generally the wrong people will initially get caught up in the Flak that will be flying around. This a result of gutter-press reporting and comments by those who claim to be 'in the know', who can't help but regurgitate lie upon lie without fact checking a single letter of what they write.

The truth will eventually come out following an expensive review into what went wrong, but by then, the damage to reputations will of already been done and the true culprits will have gotten off "scot free", having bailed out and headed off to spread carnage elsewhere.
We will see.
Nige

[MikeJames]

More shots of Arafura on sea trials

Mike

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Arafura 06.jpg (203.14 KiB) Viewed 2232 times

Arafura 07.jpg (270.68 KiB) Viewed 2232 times

Arafura 08.jpg (238.09 KiB) Viewed 2232 times

[MikeJames]

Luerssen bales on Arafura contract.

The German company Leurssen has sold all of its operations, including all liabilities, to CIVMEC in Western Australia and has exited the Australian market.

This means they are no longer involved in the construction and rectification of design flaws in the Arafura class.

CIVMEC announced this in a release to the ASX, as CIVMEC is listed on the ASX, and has to report major changes that could affect shareholders.

Post the first two Arafura's being built by Australian Submarine Corporation (and being tied up alongside for almost two years while they struggled to rectify safety defects), the remainder of what was supposed to be a 12 ship order was to be built by CIVMEC in WA, freeing ASC to transition to building the nine Hunters and the Shortfin Barracuda class conventional submarines planned.

Well, as the military axiom says, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

The Hunters have been reduced to a 3-ship with a possible 3 more to follow (don't bet real money on it), the Shortfin Barracuda has gone the way of the Dodo and the Arafura class has been culled to only 6 ships.

Leurssen has basically washed their hands of the Arafura's, with CIVMEC now responsible for ensuring the class actually meets safety specs and enters service with the RAN.

Its clear the German's realised they were losing money and reputation on the Arafura's and decided to exit with as much dignity as they could.

It appears there may be little money changing hands, with Leurssen happy to escape liability for the Arafura's and CIVMEC apparently deciding the upside of being prime on this contract overcomes potentially liability claims.

More on this as it comes to hand.