Navantia has signed, on 23rd October, a contract with the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) for the RRDS (Risk Reduction Design Study) regarding the SEA 5000 program for the new frigates.
The contract has been signed at the DMO offices in Canberra, by Francisco Barón, director of Navantia Australia and Paddy Fritzpatrick, director of DMO Naval Programs. The management and coordination of the activities within this contract will take place in Navantia’s offices in Adelaide, recently opened.
The contract, that will last aproximately 9 months, intends to analyze the impact of the installation of CEA Australian aerial radar and SAAB command and control system on Navantia’s F-105 frigate, as well as the accomplish of specific Australian requirements.
This is the first step of the program of acquisition of future frigates for the Royal Australian Navy, which includes the building of 8 units in Australia.
The Australian Government will build the ships in Adelaide, where the AWD are being built, with the support of Navantia in the design, based on the F-100 frigates, and transfer of technology. It is very important to highlight the communality of systems and equipments with other ships of the Royal Australian Navy, being this fact a great added value for Navantia when bidding in other programs.
This is a clue program for Navantia, for its complexity and volume and means an important support from the Australian Government to Navantia’s capabilities. It will provide Navantia a significant level of activity, as well as the opportunity to develop other internationally attractive designs based on the F-100 frigates.
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Press release, Image: Navantia