Thales Australia plans maritime autonomy and SME collaboration precinct

Thales Australia is developing a master plan to establish a sovereign Maritime Autonomy and SME Collaboration Precinct at the company’s Carrington site on the Newcastle foreshore. This will be implemented If Thales Australia is selected for the RAN Mine Countermeasures (MCM) and Military Survey Capability program, Project SEA1905 Ph.1.

For over 30 years, the Carrington site has supported the RAN’s Huon-class Mine Hunter Coastal (MHC) vessels and associated mine warfare capability. With the RAN’s MHCs scheduled for gradual retirement in the future, the Carrington site development, supported by Thales Australia’s DISP Level 3 classification, will establish an Australian eyes-only dedicated home for the development and deployment of a sovereign maritime autonomy capability. This will help advance and accelerate the RAN’s MCM and Military Survey Capability under SEA1905 Ph.1.

Newcastle, and the Hunter region, have been a stalwart of the RAN’s MCM capability from the time of construction of the first Huon class MHC vessels by ADI in the nineties, said Troy Stephen, Vice President, Underwater Systems, Thales Australia and New Zealand.

“The RAN’s Mine Countermeasures and Military Survey Capability will also undergo rapid advancement and a significant technological step-change into autonomy under SEA1905 Ph1. Carrington, the home of the MHC, is the ideal location to develop and deliver the next generation of sovereign mine warfare capability for the RAN, providing the ideal test and evaluation environment whilst generating significant investment in local SMEs and jobs in the region,” he added

The new Maritime Autonomy and SME Collaboration Precinct will realise Thales’s long-term commitment to supporting the RAN’s maritime autonomy ambitions in the Hunter region. The company says Carrington is the ideal location for the capability as it enables rapid access to both shallow and deep water for trials teams.

The Thales development at Carrington will also expand the company’s world-leading technology and autonomous capability footprint, with Maritime Autonomy Centres already operating in both the UK and US. The Carrington development in Australia completes the capability triangle to enable the pooling of technology, expertise and industrial effort between the three countries.

The purpose-built facility will also support collaboration across research institutions, SME partners, and key industrial partners to establish future sovereign technology pathways for the development and integration of autonomous vessels in support of Australia’s nuclear deterrence capability.