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A key and often overlooked factor in RAN projects of the 80s and 90s was partners were selected for their build strategies as much as for the capability of their product. The technology and knowhow imported and developed from the Collins and ANZAC builds, as well as the earlier privatization of Williamstown Naval Dock Yards and re-baselining of the Australian Frigate Project (the last pair of FFGs), was transformational, not just for ship building but for the supply chain and industry in general.These projects introduced many state of the art processes, Total Quality Management, project management, digital tools etc. that had never existed locally before. A sign of how great the change was is that when we started working with Navantia, those of us who had only ever worked on Collins, ANZAC or FFGs were continually confused and unsettled by Navantias more traditional / conservative approach to shipbuilding. Well it wasn't only us, the Bath Iron Works personnel embedded in the project were also disturbed and bemused, as the majority of them had cut their teeth on Ticonderogas, Burkes and SSN/SSBNs.The irony is, depending who builds and how they build this notional RAN Type 23, Australian ship building and industry could actually be left less evolved than it was in reality. Not necessarily a bad thing because they would have meant more people employed in the industry, hence more votes tied to it, but also less culture shock when having to deal with a more traditional designer/builder.
A key and often overlooked factor in RAN projects of the 80s and 90s was partners were selected for their build strategies as much as for the capability of their product. The technology and knowhow imported and developed from the Collins and ANZAC builds, as well as the earlier privatization of Williamstown Naval Dock Yards and re-baselining of the Australian Frigate Project (the last pair of FFGs), was transformational, not just for ship building but for the supply chain and industry in general.
These projects introduced many state of the art processes, Total Quality Management, project management, digital tools etc. that had never existed locally before. A sign of how great the change was is that when we started working with Navantia, those of us who had only ever worked on Collins, ANZAC or FFGs were continually confused and unsettled by Navantias more traditional / conservative approach to shipbuilding. Well it wasn't only us, the Bath Iron Works personnel embedded in the project were also disturbed and bemused, as the majority of them had cut their teeth on Ticonderogas, Burkes and SSN/SSBNs.
The irony is, depending who builds and how they build this notional RAN Type 23, Australian ship building and industry could actually be left less evolved than it was in reality. Not necessarily a bad thing because they would have meant more people employed in the industry, hence more votes tied to it, but also less culture shock when having to deal with a more traditional designer/builder.
