Sensational-Adelaide.com

rev wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 09, 2022 1:15 pm

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business ... 73ac4df7b7

Was there a project to build drones here in SA?
Or is this an article about the scrapped armed drones?
Its behind a pay wall.

SA to host $20m space manufacturing node
A $20 million space manufacturing node will be established in Adelaide to produce 3D-printed satellite components and a “satellite selfie-stick” to improve communications with Earth.

The Adelaide node will form part of a $180m national space manufacturing hub announced today.

The University of South Australia is one of three universities and 23 industry partners tasked with building a sovereign space industry for Australia, involving rockets and launch facilities, rapid satellite manufacturing, communication technologies and integrated sensing systems.

iLAUNCH hub is led by the University of Southern Queensland together with the Australian National University and UniSA.

The Federal Government has committed $50 million from its Trailblazer Universities Program and the remainder of the $180 million will come from cash and in-kind from the three universities and industry partners.

UniSA Industry Associate Professor Colin Hall will lead the South Australian node, hosting three core projects involving five industry partners, valued at $20 million over four years.

Teaming up with manufacturing specialists Amaero, SMR Australia and Defence Science Technology Group (DSTG), UniSA will develop the next generation of 3D printed materials to build compact optical systems for satellites.

“This will result in a ‘satellite selfie stick,’ improving ground observation and communications with earth,” Hall said.

Port Adelaide firm QPE Advanced Machining will also set up a 3D print facility with UniSA for lightweight satellite components, using the latest electron beam melting technology deployed to print turbine blades for jet aircraft.

Working closely with Electro Optic Systems (EOS), UniSA will also manufacture laser mirrors and filters that can handle high-powered lasers, reducing Australia’s reliance on overseas suppliers, and speeding up manufacturing time.

All projects will be supported by CSIRO through additional funding.

“This project will support university staff to commercialise their research and strengthen collaborations with industry, both of which are necessary to build a sovereign space capability in Australia,” Hall says.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for us, and our industry partners, to commercialise technology to grow Australia’s space manufacturing capability.

“Together with USQ and ANU we will cement Australia’s reputation as a major player on the global space stage.”

South Australia the information warfare hub for the ADF
24 May 2022

In an age of big data, artificial intelligence, increasing surveillance requirements, cyber security, electronic warfare supporting emerging technologies and capabilities, South Australia is leading the way in strengthening the country’s information warfare capabilities and ensuring a smarter, more integrated Australian Defence Force (ADF).

South Australia’s Edinburgh Defence Precinct is at the heart of this activity, as the national defence research, manufacturing and sustainment hub, housing RAAF Base Edinburgh, the Defence Science and Technology Group’s (DSTG) largest Australian operations and a thriving cluster of defence companies and expertise.

Over the past decade, the precinct has become a major intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance hub for the ADF, with the Air Warfare Centre, 92 Wing, 1 Remote Sensor Unit, Joint Electronic Warfare Unit and 462 Squadron located in the Edinburgh precinct.

Today, the precinct remains a hive of activity. It continues to evolve to meet the needs of some of the nation’s most critical Defence projects, including the P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, Triton un-crewed aerial system, the Peregrine EW aircraft, Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) and increasingly space.

The base supports the operations, deployment, logistical support and training for current and emerging platforms and hosts the developing data processing, storage and distribution systems and secure networks required to rapidly distribute the analysed information to the warfighters and decision makers. Providing direct access to the DSTG researchers, world-class test and training ranges and a network of defence industry across all domains, Edinburgh offers the ideal environment to support current and future Information Warfare projects and capabilities.

Work will soon commence on a new purpose-built Defence 737 deep maintenance and modification facility, which will provide the critical infrastructure necessary for the local maintenance and upgrade of the P-8A Poseidon, and the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

Defence SA Chief Executive Richard Price said the increase in activity at Edinburgh Defence Precinct is a clear indication of the critical role South Australia plays in enhancing the nation’s air warfare, surveillance and intelligence capabilities.

“There has been a lot of focus on South Australia being the nation’s epicentre for naval shipbuilding, but information warfare is also a key pillar of our defence strategy, with growth in this sector propelling South Australia forward as the nation’s information warfare hub,” he said.

“Integrating the most advanced weapons systems across air, sea, land, space and cyber domains into a truly integrated joint warfighting force requires an agile, secure and platform agnostic information warfare ecosystem.

“These systems require a highly skilled and specialised workforce capable of collecting, managing and exploiting large amounts of data at high security levels from multiple sources in a cyber-secure environment.

“This capability and expertise is found right here in South Australia.”

South Australia is fast establishing as the ADF’s operational hub for information warfare and the State Government is committed to supporting the development of the nation’s surveillance capabilities by building a critical mass of knowledge, workers and industry.

Next month, Defence SA will host the SA Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum in Adelaide, with a focus on educating the aerospace and information warfare sectors on the projects currently delivering or set to deliver significant capability upgrades to the ADF.

The SA Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum will be held on 22 June 2022 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The Forum will include an industry exhibition of more than 40 defence primes and SMEs as well as presentations from ADF representatives and industry on a range of topics showcasing local capabilities and supply opportunities.

Navantia Australia proposes AWD boost for RAN

The shipbuilding prime has offered to expand Australia’s fleet of Hobart Class destroyers to help address a potential capability gap.

According to reports originally published in The Australian, Navantia Australia has proposed to develop three additional Hobart Class air warfare destroyers (AWDs) for the Royal Australian Navy by 2030.

The company has said the program would cost an estimated $6 billion – $2 billion for each vessel.

Navantia Australia managing director Israel Lozano Barragan told The Australian the additional vessels would help “bridge an important capability gap” ahead of the delivery of the RAN’s Hunter Class frigates under Project SEA 5000, set to replace the ageing Anzac Class fleet.

Barragan added the additional Hobart Class destroyers could be built locally, in Spain or via a “hybrid model” across both countries.

This, he said, would depend on the capacity of South Australia’s Osborne shipyard.

“This flexibility is given to protect the Hunter Class frigates’ production program,” he added.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, AO, responded to reports during an appearance before the Senate foreign affairs, defence, and trade legislation committee on Wednesday (6 April), but stressed no formal offer had been made to Defence.

“I currently have in place a very robust surface combat transition plan, which does not take into account any contemplation of additional air warfare destroyers,” he said.

“So, at this point in time, it is something that is being speculated within the media regarding advice or unsolicited advice being provided by Navantia.”

VADM Noonan added that he has not provided any advice to government regarding the potential acquisition of additional AWDs.

The SEA 4000 project achieved final operating capability (FOC) in August, with the last of three Hobart Class destroyers, HMAS Sydney, delivered to the RAN after passing test and evaluation trials off the coast of the US and Canada, which involved missile firings against low-altitude and supersonic targets.

Approximately 5,000 Australians are estimated to have worked on the air warfare destroyer program over the past decade, with over 2,700 unique suppliers supporting the development of HMAS Sydney.

HMAS Sydney has joined sister vessels HMA ships Hobart and Brisbane, in primarily providing air defence for accompanying ships, land forces and infrastructure in coastal areas.

Based upon the Spanish F100s, the Australian variants incorporate a number of modifications and Australian-specific structural/design and combat system modifications to provide a uniquely Australian surface combatant with international provenance.

The delivery was executed by the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance – a co-operative comprising the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), ASC Shipbuilding, AWD Shipbuilding and Raytheon Australia.

The Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group contributed to risk mitigation activities, acceptance testing and planning for sea trials to demonstrate and quantify the level of capability achieved by the project.

$100m port boost: Road, rail revamp for defence precinct
A major overhaul of the transport network on Lefevre Peninsula will help ready the nation’s premier defence precinct for the construction of nuclear-powered submarines.

Gabriel Polychronis

Federal Political Correspondent
@G_Polychronis
2 min read
December 21, 2022 - 9:03PM

A $100m overhaul of the road and rail network on the Lefevre Peninsula will help ready the nation’s premier defence precinct for the construction of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
The Advertiser can reveal full details of the state government’s plans to upgrade several bustling intersections and a busy rail crossing to ease congestion around the defence shipbuilding precinct at Osborne.
The package, jointly funded with the federal government and supporting more than 200 jobs over the life of the project, will help cement South Australia’s status as one of the world’s leading shipbuilding destinations.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the improved road and rail access would be a “boon” to defence workers and Lefevre Peninsula residents.
“The defence industry is set to boom in South Australia, with the defence precinct (at Osborne) expected to double in size to support new submarines and other projects,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“With an additional 5000 people set to be working in the area, it is vital that local roads and other infrastructure are upgraded effectively to manage more vehicles and freight, and to improve safety for all road users.”
With work expected to begin late next year, the state government is planning to realign and upgrade the Victoria and Pelican Point roads intersection.
That will involve adding dedicated right-turn lanes into defence industry carparks, upgraded pedestrian crossings, new bicycle lanes, new LED road lighting and other improvements.
The Victoria and Veitch roads junction will also be overhauled, with added turning lanes and new pedestrian crossings.

Roads allowing access to two future carparks at the Osborne shipbuilding precincts will be constructed off Victoria and Pelican Point roads.
The scope of the works is detailed in a Department for Infrastructure and Transport submission to state parliamment’s Public Works Committee, after the package was funded in the state budget.



The government is embarking on a campaign to inform the Lefevre Peninsula community of the project.
Victoria Rd around the shipyard was the scene of 51 road crashes between 2017 and 2021, causing 11 serious injuries and 16 minor injuries.
Further detail is yet to be determined on planned upgrades to the Pelican Point Rd level crossing, which would reduce lengthy wait times caused by frequent freight train activity.
Mr Koutsantonis said the works were necessary as the area was also home to Adelaide’s container, Viterra grain and cruise ship terminals.
“The surrounding infrastructure needs to be ready to support that growth,” he said.
The Osborne shipyard is already home to some of the most complex and important defence projects, including the construction of nine Hunter-class frigates and the sustainment of the Collins-class submarine fleet.



The federal government has remained committed to building eight nuclear-powered submarines there, with the first boat expected to be completed by 2040.
To support the huge endeavour, the federal government has leased 45ha of land just north of the Osborne shipyard from Renewal SA.
It will mean the submarine section of the shipyard will more than triple in size to become one of the most sophisticated construction bases in the world.
In September, former chief of navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett sparked calls to radically transform the Lefevre Peninsula into a bustling, hi-tech precinct to attract young workers to shipbuilding.
He called for a boost in modern housing availability, building new recreational infrastructure and increasing the number of schooling and tertiary education options – with a heavy focus on STEM – near the Osborne shipyard to help plug a looming skills crisis.

EXCLUSIVE: Reed, Inhofe warn Biden AUKUS risks becoming ‘zero sum game’ for US Navy
"We are concerned that what was initially touted as a 'do no harm' opportunity to support Australia and the United Kingdom and build long-term competitive advantages for the U.S. and its Pacific allies, may be turning into a zero-sum game for scarce, highly advanced U.S. SSNs," wrote the SASC heads.
By JUSTIN KATZ
on January 05, 2023 at 4:23 PM
Senate Armed Services Examines U.S. Central Command And U.S. Africa Command


WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 15: (L-R) Committee chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) talks with ranking member Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) before the start of a Senate Armed Services hearing on Capitol Hill March 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. The committee met to receive testimony on the posture of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command, two of the eleven unified combatant commands in the U.S. Department of Defense. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — Two key US lawmakers sent a warning shot to President Joe Biden over concerns that the AUKUS trilateral security agreement could imperil America’s submarine fleet, according to a letter obtained by Breaking Defense.

“Over the past year, we have grown more concerned about the state of the U.S. submarine industrial base as well as its ability to support the desired AUKUS SSN [nuclear sub] end state,” Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and James Inhofe, R-Okla., wrote in a Dec. 21 letter sent to the White House. “We believe current conditions require a sober assessment of the facts to avoid stressing the U.S. submarine industrial base to the breaking point.”

“We are concerned that what was initially touted as a ‘do no harm’ opportunity to support Australia and the United Kingdom and build long-term competitive advantages for the U.S. and its pacific allies, may be turning into a zero-sum game for scarce, highly advanced U.S. SSNs,” the two lawmakers continue, explicitly warning against any plan to sell or transfer Virginia-class submarines to Australia before the US Navy has met its current requirement.

At the time the letter was sent, Reed and Inhofe were the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Armed Services Committee, one of the four key congressional panels overseeing the Pentagon. While Inhofe has since retired, Reed remains the SASC chairman in the new Congress — and hence remains one of the most influential voices on defense issues on the hill, with oversight on the AUKUS discussion.

AUKUS refers to the security pact announced in September 2021 between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. The highlight of the agreement involves the US and UK sharing highly sensitive nuclear submarine technology with their ally down under, so that Australia can develop and operate nuclear-powered submarines, or potentially receive American Virginia-class subs outright. Leaders of the three countries said at the time their respective governments would spend 18 months on a preliminary planning phase before advancing the agreement; that initial consultation period is scheduled to end in March.

“We urge you to adopt a ‘do no harm’ approach to AUKUS negotiations and ensure that sovereign U.S. national security capabilities will not be diminished as we work to build this strategic partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom over the coming decades,” the senators wrote Biden.

A spokesman for Reed declined to comment; the White House did not return a request for comment by deadline.

Virginia Concerns

The senators outline the pressure the US Navy’s fast attack submarine program, the Virginia-class, has been under in recent years. They point out that although the program increased procurement from one to two boats per year in 2011, “just 1.2 Virginia-class SSNs have delivered, on average, per year over the past five years,” according to the letter.

In fact, a significant portion of the letter sends a clear signal to the White House: think twice before trying to send or sell Virginia-class subs to Australia.

“AUKUS options that would have the U.S. transfer or sell Virginia-class submarines prior to meeting [the Chief of Naval Operations’] requirements would make the US Navy less capable of meeting sovereign wartime and peacetime requirements. Make no mistake, we recognize the strategic value of having one of our closest allies operating a world-class nuclear navy could provide in managing long-term competition with an increasingly militaristic China.

“However, such a goal will take decades to achieve, and we cannot simply ignore contemporary realities in the meantime.”

The lagging deliveries for Virginia-class come despite the consistent funding lawmakers have provided both in response to annual budget requests as well as an additional $1 billion to help prop up the supplier base and workforce development initiatives over the past five years.

“This increased funding has yet to improve performance appreciably, and an assumption that even more money will change this situation is not supported by the experience of the last 10 years,” Reed and Inhofe wrote. Now, to add to the building pressure, the Navy and its industrial base must prepare for serial production of the “higher priority” Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program, the letter adds.

The US Navy has long cited 66 fast attack submarines as its requirement in varying force structure assessments. The senators note that the service has only 50 boats in the fleet today and expects to see its inventory reduced to 48 by 2027 when older subs retire more rapidly than new ones are delivered.

The lawmakers also warn that not enough has been done to understand the legal impacts of AUKUS and where there could be hurdles.

“Just as the submarine industrial base constraints are real, so are statutory and regulatory constraints. We still have little understanding of what … permissions or waivers would be needed to realize the AUKUS SSN options,” the senators wrote. “These permissions or waivers are a serious matter and should not be taken for granted in negotiating any agreements.”

The senators’ concerns over the AUKUS deal come ahead of a critical first milestone for the relatively new agreement expected early this year.

Adm. Frank Caldwell, the Navy’s most senior admiral overseeing its nuclear submarine technology, said in November that he and his British and Australian counterparts are in the process of consolidating their final recommendations due to their respective governments in March.

Despite the fanfare of the initial announcement back in 2021, all three governments publicly have deferred the most crucial details about the arrangement as issues to be worked out during the 18-month planning process. With the deadline approaching, all eyes will be on the United States and United Kingdom to elaborate on the next steps in a process that, as the senators write, could take decades to deliver an Australian nuclear Navy.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, leading members of the 2022 House Armed Services Committee embraced the AUKUS agreement as a positive development for a key US ally and even passed legislation to help train Australian naval officers. But, hesitation remains about how far the US can go to help its friends, if that help would result in harming the US Navy’s own fleet.

“There’s been a lot of talk about well, the Australians would just buy a US submarine. That’s not going to happen,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., a top House defense hawk, said in December. “I just don’t see how we’re going to build a submarine and sell it to Australia during that time.”

Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, a top US Navy officer overseeing submarine construction, has expressed similar concerns.

“If you are asking my opinion, if we were going to add additional submarine construction to our industrial base, that would be detrimental to us right now, without significant investment to provide additional capacity, capability to go do that,” he told the Mitchell Institute in Washington. “I won’t speak for the UK, but I think that exists for both the US and the UK where we’re looking right now.”

rev wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 06, 2023 8:54 pm

This is more internal US politics it seems, as it focuses on our subs being built over there, but thought I'd share it anyway.

SBD wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 06, 2023 11:51 pm

rev wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 06, 2023 8:54 pm

This is more internal US politics it seems, as it focuses on our subs being built over there, but thought I'd share it anyway.

Yes, it's mostly US politicians posturing for a US audience. A key take-away for (South) Australia though is that they don't appear to have any intent to sideline the Adelaide build as seems to have been threatened by our state and federal oppositions and scare-mongers. If the US shipyards can't deliver at the rate they have contracted to supply the USN, the key will be how to harness the Adelaide shipyard to best support the combined production rate.

“We’re very aware of it, that’s why it’s so important that Australia develops its own industrial capability to build nuclear powered submarines, which we will do in Adelaide.”

Mr Marles said the government was focused on upskilling industry at home.

“We will need to develop that capability in order to contribute to the industrial base of the three countries; the US, the UK and ourselves, and we are doing that at pace right now,” he said.

Aussie experts say nuclear myths could cost us the deal of a lifetime
Australia is on the brink of a massive opportunity but the country’s stuck with out-dated ideas, experts warn.

Gabriel Polychronis
Federal Political Correspondent
@G_Polychronis
4 min read
January 12, 2023 - 7:45PM

Misconceptions about the safety of nuclear-powered submarines must be busted ahead of the ambitious project that could make Australia a global leader in the highly complex industry, the nation’s nuclear organisation has declared.

Wary Australians, particularly those on the far left of politics who are concerned AUKUS will somehow lead to another Chernobyl-style disaster, have been urged to respect the country’s long history in nuclear stewardship that predates even the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – the global nuclear watchdog.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is set to play a central role in developing and operating the country’s future nuclear-powered submarine fleet, building on 70 years of experience.

It’s often said Australia does not possess the nuclear expertise required to construct the complex boats – but ANSTO’s Group Executive of Nuclear Safety, Security and Stewardship, Miles Apperley, is out to change people’s minds.

“We’ve been operating nuclear reactors in Australia since 1958 continuously … and our nuclear experience has demonstrated Australia’s ability to comply with safeguard requirements,” Dr Apperley told The Advertiser in an exclusive interview to mark ANSTO’s 70th anniversary.

Australia first established a nuclear science industry in 1953 with the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, which ANSTO replaced in 1987.
He said ASNTO’s “track record of nuclear stewardship” is being used as a significant leveraging tool on the biggest stages in international diplomacy.

“It’s being leveraged significantly now to show that Australia can be trusted, and when we stand up beside the UK and US partners at the IAEA and say we are going to commit to upholding the highest level of non-proliferation and safeguards, there is a lot of belief,” Dr Apperley said.

“With decades of stewardship and safe handling of material, we have generated an enormous benefit for the nation and built a huge international reputation in many areas – these are solid credentials from which Australia can lay this enterprise in the future.”

At its facility in Lucas Heights, NSW, ANSTO operates a 20-megawatt reactor powered with low enriched uranium fuel to produce medical radioisotopes, from which almost every Australian will benefit at some point in their life.

The reactor is used to produce many radioisotopes including Phosphorus-31 for the treatment of excess red blood cells and Technetium-99m used for medical imaging.

Less widely known is that ANSTO’s reactor also produces 50 per cent of the world’s irradiated silicon, used in a range of advanced systems such as power grid infrastructure, wind turbine systems and high-speed trains.

On top of its commercial duties, the 1300-strong ANSTO is a leader in cutting-edge research programs, and each year opens its doors to 5000 researchers from around the world, visiting Lucas Heights and the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne.

ANSTO is also responsible for providing trusted advice to the federal government on nuclear technology, including the nuclear-powered submarines to be built under the AUKUS pact with Britain and the US.

Dr Apperley is not oblivious to the considerable challenges with developing a nuclear skilled workforce capable of operating submarines fuelled with highly enriched uranium – an objective he labelled “the biggest pole in the tent”.

“The nuclear piece is really new and it will be complex and it will be hard – but the rest of the submarine is conventional, in the sense that it is a war-fighting machine and Australia has significant experience in this,” he said.

“The new bit is it’s going to have a propulsion system, the energy for which comes from a nuclear reactor, and the submarine taskforce will probably be the first group to say ‘yep, standing up suitably qualified and experienced nuclear personnel is job number one.”

But Dr Apperley said Australia already had a headstart that should not be underestimated.

“Our nuclear baseline is very solid. ANSTO and Australia operates a very complex and sophisticated nuclear operation,” he said.

In August, SA Greens senator Barbara Pocock attended a rally in Adelaide that made baseless claims the AUKUS submarine deal would lead to another Hiroshima-style atomic bombing that killed 140,000 people in 1945.

Defence SA boss Richard Price said growing international instability meant acquiring nuclear-powered submarines was crucial.

“People don’t understand nuclear – they just head the one word ‘nuclear’ and immediately jump to the conclusion that we’re talking about large scale nuclear energy plants such as Chernobyl (which exploded in 1986),” Mr Price said.

“Technology has moved a long way in the nuclear energy industry, but what we are talking about is a much smaller reacter on a submarine … so it’s no where near the same issue as you’re dealing with in a power station.”

Mr Price said nuclear-powered submarines were the “ultimate stealthy platform” that could travel thousands of kilometres away in a short period of time and stay submerged indefinitely.

“It puts incredible uncertainty in other people’s mind as to where they are, and if they have to go hunting for submarines, it ties up a tremendous amount of resources,” he said.

“They can stay operational for so much longer, they also travel much faster and they don’t have to resurface to recharge batteries, so they are so much harder to find than a conventional submarine over a long period of time.”
“We know that when the US and UK visited ANSTO in early 2022, it provided significant confidence that Australia had a foundation – it had a baseline on which it could build.”

Despite a pledge to arm the submarines with conventional weapons, the AUKUS pact has attracted considerable scrutiny from antinuclear groups concerned about domestic safety and Australia becoming a target for global adversaries.

Adelaide’s Naval Shipbuilding College to close next month
Adelaide’s Naval Shipbuilding College will close next month, costing dozens of jobs, as industry leaders call for urgent action.
Michael McGuire
@mcguiremi
3 min read
January 13, 2023 - 5:30AM

Adelaide’s Naval Shipbuilding College will close next month after the federal government decided not to extend its five-year contract, costing 35 jobs, and prompting calls for swift action to plug the growing skills shortage in the defence sector.

The closure of the NSC was slammed by Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham who said the decision would create “uncertainty’’, but Craig Lockhart, managing director of BAE Systems Maritime Australia, the company building the Hunter Class frigates, said it was an opportunity to build a better structure to encourage more skilled workers into the industry.

“I think it’s fair to say that we feel the current system, and I want to be clear that is not aimed at NSC, the current academic system that supports the defence pipeline is not sufficient to give us the people that we need in the time that we need it.

“We want it faster, we want it deeper and we kind of needed it yesterday.’’

Defence Industries minister Pat Conroy confirmed the closure of the Osborne-based college which cost $114.4 million to run over five years.

Mr Conroy said the closure of the college was “front of mind’’ last year when the federal government announced with Premier Peter Malinauskas a joint state and federal taskforce to examine how to build the estimated 10,000 person workforce for the $45 billion frigate program, upgrades to the Collins class submarines and potentially a nuclear subs program.

“One of the biggest risks we face moving forward with any future submarine program is the skilled workforce required to build them,’’ Mr Conroy said.

A Defence Department spokesperson said the RAND Corporation had reviewed the NSC model in April last year and after speaking to 56 industry participants had concluded “that the College has not fully established itself as envisioned in the 2017 Naval Shipbuilding Plan’’.

“It is important to note that the College is not an education institution and does not provide teaching and learning services,’’ the spokesperson said.

The government has called for tenders to continue the NSC’s role in workforce data analysis and planning. The college had been run by a partnership between US defence companies Kellogg Brown & Root and Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Senator Birmingham said scrapping the NSC, which opened in 2018 with the aim of training thousands of workers in shipbuilding, would create “uncertainty rather than job pathways’’ at a time when there was skills and capability gaps in the defence workforce.

“Workforce skills and numbers are a key risk to the timely build of naval ships, subs and other defence capability,’’ he said. “The risks of workforce shortages are only heightened by delays, reviews or the redesigning of existing programs.’’

Almost 6000 potential workers who had expressed an interest to the college about working in defence industry will be left in limbo.

An NSC employee, who asked for anonymity, said while anything new takes a “while to establish itself’’, the college was gathering pace.

“The wheels were in motion that 2023 was going to be a huge year for the Naval Shipbuilding College and people seeking work in that field,’’ the employee said. For example, the NSC had talked to “thousands’’ of school children to encourage them to think about taking up a trade in the shipbuilding industry.
“Why isn’t there a push to keep it? It’s a really sound model,’’ the employee said.

A state government spokesperson confirmed it had been told late last year by Defence that the College was to be closed.

“It’s clear that there are not nearly enough STEM qualified graduates and tradespeople available to meet the current demand, let alone future demand for up to ten thousand workers,’’ the spokesperson said. “That’s why the Premier sought and secured agreement with the Commonwealth to establish a joint State and Commonwealth Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Taskforce.’’