Austal announced that November 2014 will see Austal formally commence full time operations in Cairns, Australia. This move remains part of Austal’s continued expansion across Northern Australia in support of what is an increasing and significant number of Austal designed and built defence assets either based in Northern Australia or tasked to the various areas of operation across the region.
Integrated with and supported by Austal teams in Darwin and other states across Australia, this move further enhances Austal’s asset management and full life cycle sustainment capability in the defence space.
In addition to other national and international owned Austal designed and built vessels either based in Northern Australia or operated across the region, in August 2011, Austal was awarded a $330 million prime contract for the design, construction and through life sustainment of eight new Cape Class patrol boats for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS). The third vessel was recently delivered into border force operations with the remainder due to be delivered to ACBPS by August 2015. Austal’s long term sustainment of the Cape Class fleet is contracted for a minimum period of eight years (with follow on options).
Austal Australia President, Graham Backhouse commented:
Strategically, this is another important step in growing Austal’s presence across Australia to support both national and international operators of Austal designed and built defence assets.
Austal’s focus is on our customers, and their need to have assets available for operations as required. Austal’s ongoing growth in delivering sustainable availability outcomes is simply part of our responsibility as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of state of the art maritime capability across the Ships, Systems and Support space. In doing so, Austal continues to establish itself as a major provider of domestic and worldwide vessel sustainment, and our growing support mechanism for the Cape Class fleet in Cairns and Darwin underpins our commitment to provide full maritime asset management services for the entire life cycle of Australian patrol boats, both current and future.
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Press release, Image: Austal