Tasmanian Shipbuilder Wins Air Warfare Destroyer Contract

26 Aug 09

A Tasmanian company, Taylor Bros Slipway and Engineering, is the latest manufacturer to be awarded a contract for manufacturing with the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project.

Greg Combet, Minister for Defence, Personnel, Materiel and Science, congratulated the shipbuilder who has won a contract worth more than $25m deliver a range of accommodation products to the Hobart Class AWDs including cabin and sanitary modules, on-board furniture and galley, pantry and scullery equipment.

“Taylor Bros were established in 1936 and has a long and successful history of working with both domestic and international marine-based industries.

“It has won this contract in a highly competitive tender process again demonstrating that Australian companies can win crucial work in the AWDs, in this case supplying the accommodation in which our sailors will live and work.

“Australian industry content in the contract is valued at about 70 percent.

“The success of a Tasmanian company brings to four the number of Australian states contributing in a major way to the AWD project.

“Construction of the ships’ blocks which will make up the three air warfare destroyers will take place in Victoria, NSW and South Australia with the ships then being assembled at Osborne in South Australia. This demonstrates the national importance of the AWD project,” Combet said.

This contract for Taylor Brothers will create 20 new jobs.

In a separate announcement, Combet also said that the AWD Alliance had signed a contract for the provision of what will be Australia’s biggest crane.

“The crane with a capacity of more than 900t will be supplied by Manitowoc Crane Group Australia at a cost in the region of $14m.

“At ASC’s shipyard in Adelaide the crane will be used to assemble the ships bringing together the blocks which will make up the AWDs. The blocks will measure up to 18 metres wide and weigh up to 250t.

“These two announcements show that the AWD project remains on track to deliver the first AWD in 2014,” he added.

Subscribe free-of-charge to the Advanced Manufacturing Bulletin and be kept informed about manufacturing industry news and new manufacturing technology.