Thales and Australian partner SMEs win critical Navy support and maintenance contract at Garden Island, Sydney
Thales welcomes today’s announcement by The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Defence Industry, confirming Thales as the Australian Defence Force’s partner of choice for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Maritime Sustainment contract as Regional Maintenance Provider East (RMP-E) at Garden Island Defence Precinct (GIDP) in Sydney, New South Wales.
The new contract awarded to Thales is expected to generate over 800 local jobs and generate over $700m of opportunities with Australian SMEs to 2028, including the addition of over 40 new apprentices, trainees and cadets based at the Garden Island Defence Precinct (GIDP).
The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for Defence Industry said, “Growing our sovereign naval shipbuilding industrial capability is not just good for jobs, it’s imperative for our national security.
“I’m focussed on making it easier for local industry to partner with Defence, and this partnership with Thales Australia will help to do that.”
Thales, supported by a robust and resilient ecosystem of over 500 Australian SMEs, and its 460-strong highly skilled workforce at Garden Island in Sydney, will work in close collaboration with all RMPs across the country, to manage sustainment, integration and lifecycle management services to advance fleet sustainment delivery in Australia,ensuring the RAN and its partner navies are always ready and available to fight and win at sea.
Jeff Connolly, Chief Executive Officer, Thales Australia & New Zealand said, “We are grateful to be selected as the Australian Defence Force’s regional maintenance partner of choice, providing indispensable services and support to the Royal Australian Navy in the protection of our nation at Garden Island in Sydney.”
Mr. Connolly said, “The Captain Cook Graving Dock and Garden Island Precinct on Sydney Harbour have always been critical sovereign national security assets – as is the highly skilled Thales Australia workforce that safely operate the dock every day to ensure the RAN is always ready and available to protect the nation and support our Pacific Island neighbors as needed.
Thales Australia is committed to ensuring the continued training and upskilling of our people to advance dockyard operations as the new vessels come online, as well as engaging and training the new apprentices, trainees and cadets of the future to guarantee knowledge transfer to future-proof this essential sovereign sustainment capability for the ADF.”
Earlier this year, Thales signed an agreement with U.S Navy Industrial Enterprise partner, ORBIS Sibro Inc (ORBIS Inc), to collaborate on the advancement of maritime sustainment operations in support of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at the Garden Island Defence Precinct in Sydney. The new partnership will help accelerate the advancement of Australia’s maritime sustainment capability in support of the Australian Government’s National Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Enterprise.
About Thales in Australia
Thales in Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services.
Thales in Australia employs over 4,300 people directly and supports over 2,051 job along its Australian supply chain. Since 2018 Thales Australia has spent over $1.9 billion with local Australian businesses.
Thales has supported the RAN with ship support, sustainment and lifecycle management from Fleet Base East, Garden Island Sydney, for over 20 years. Since 2014 Thales Australia has successfully executed over 350 military and commercial ship dockings, employing over 460 highly skilled people, and investing in the development of over 100 apprentices in that time.
In 2017, Thales in Australia successfully exported the Garden Island Defence Precinct maintenance and support model to North America, securing a 35-year CAD 5.2b In-Service Support contract with the Royal Canadian Navy.