French shipbuilder DCNS has signed an agreement with Australia’s Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) to collaborate on naval shipbuilding and repairs.
According to DMTC, the agreement will see DMTC and DCNS collaborate on developing technical expertise and building industrial capacity within Australian maritime sector supply chains.
The center said work had already started on a project involving research partners from the University of Wollongong, Defence Science & Technology Group and ANSTO, and is focused on reducing levels of distortion experienced in naval surface ship construction.
CEO of DMTC, Dr Mark Hodge, said DCNS will be working with the same DMTC team that previously worked together to enhance welding processes for panel construction on Australia’s fleet of air warfare destroyers.
“In this new project, the expanded team will extend that research and technical work to tackle more complex and challenging internal joints,” Hodge said.
“We have had strong support from Defence’s SEA 5000 program and are working closely with DST Group scientists and research and industry partners,” Hodge added. “Through these types of projects we are taking technologies at the core of DMTC’s established expertise – including welding, corrosion management, life-of-type modelling and both production and sustainment technologies – and looking to extend industry capacity in support of Australia’s continuous surface shipbuilding program.”