Navantia and Partners Offer Corvettes for Australia

10 November 2023

Tasman class corvette is proposed for Australia (all photos : Maxdefense)

Austal, Civmec and Navantia Australia Partner to Offer Corvettes for Australia

Austal, Civmec and Navantia Australia are proud to announce that they have partnered to offer the Australian Government a proposal to deliver six corvettes in recognition of the Navy’s urgent need for increased strike capability. Designed by Navantia, the corvette combines the manoeuvrability of a Tier 2 vessel, with the powerful weaponry of a major surface combatant. The corvettes require a smaller crew than larger ships, without compromising on integrated anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, electronic and asymmetric warfare capabilities, including sovereign solutions such as the Saab Australian combat system and CEA Technologies radars.

The three companies have been collaborating to develop a detailed proposal since November 2022. The proposal was first presented to the Commonwealth in response to the 2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR) and the independent analysis of the Navy’s surface combatant fleet. The three companies are updating and expanding the proposal, now named the Tasman Class corvette.

The corvettes would be constructed entirely in Henderson, Western Australia, with production able to start rapidly as work on the design is well advanced and based on an operational reference vessel.

On the collaboration, Mr Lozano said that “partnership with Austal and Civmec was obvious due to their extensive shipbuilding knowledge and capabilities.

“Together Austal, Civmec and Navantia Australia have a combined 58 years of local shipbuilding experience. Each partner brings a crucial component for delivering a project of this scale, with Navantia providing the design expertise, Austal the skilled workforce and Civmec the state-of-the-art facilities and experience in constructing the Arafura Class vessels. Together with Navantia’s demonstratable track record in transferring technology to build regional capability, this partnership will establish an integrated shipbuilding enterprise in Western Australia,” Mr Lozano said.

Navantia’s proposed corvette is based on is a proven design referencing the proven Avante class family. The proposed Australian variant has several key capability characteristics important to Royal Australian Navy operations that set it apart from other corvettes. These include superior endurance and range allowing effective regional force projection, greater seakeeping capabilities, and enhanced strike capabilities through NSM Anti Surface launchers and MK-41 vertical launch system cells. The corvettes would also integrate existing Australian payloads, including the Saab 9LV combat management system, the CEA FAR OPVR radar, the newly announced Naval Strike Missiles, and the MH60-R Seahawk helicopter.

With a crew complement of less than 100, commonality with other Navantia-designed Navy ships, and standards aligned to the Defence Seaworthiness Management System, Navantia’s corvette significantly de-risks training and support. This means they represent the lowest risk transition into service of any ship in their class, allowing Australia to upgrade its naval capability with speed and confidence.

See full article Navantia Australia