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THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Volume 15 Number 3 August 2011 A PROUD NEW CAPABILITY FOR AUSTRALIA The Hobart Class AWD represents a signifi cant leap in Australia’s air warfare capabilities. Equipped with highly sophisticated naval systems, the AWD will provide the Royal Australian Navy with one of the world’s most advanced multi-mission warships and form a critical part of the nation’s military assets. A new generation warship for new challenges in our national security. Department of Defence Defence Materiel Organisation www.ausawd.com S005563_ASC_A4.indd 1 16/02/11 5:12 PM THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Journal of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (Australian Division) Volume 15 Number 3 August 2011 Cover Photo: CONTENTS Recently handed over to her Danish owners, 2 From the Division President Leonora Christina is the largest catamaran built by Austal so far (Photo courtesy Austal) 3 Editorial 4 News from the Sections The Australian Naval Architect is published four times per year. All correspondence and advertising should be sent 18 Coming Events to: The Editor 22 Classification Society News The Australian Naval Architect c/o RINA 25 General News PO Box No. 462 Jamison Centre, ACT 2614 42 From the Crow’s Nest AUSTRALIA email: [email protected] 43 Education News The deadline for the next edition of The Australian Na- val Architect (Vol. 15 No. 4, November 2011) is Friday 47 The Profession 28 October 2011. Articles and reports published in The Australian Naval 49 Industry News Architect reflect the views of the individuals who prepared them and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not neces- sarily represent the views of the Institution. The Institution, 52 Membership its officers and members make no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or 55 Naval Architects on the Move correctness of information in articles or reports and accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or other liability 57 From the Archives arising from any use of this publication or the information which it contains. The Australian Naval Architect ISSN 1441-0125 © Royal Institution of Naval Architects 2011 Editor in Chief: John Jeremy RINA Australian Division Technical Editor: Phil Helmore on the Print Post Approved PP 606811/00009 World Wide Web Printed by B E E Printmail Telephone (02) 9437 6917 www.rina.org.uk/aust August 2011 1 member of the program committee to assist in this manner, From the Division President then we would appreciate it if you can do so promptly. I’m As members may recall, the Division Council agreed to looking forward to this conference, as these are always very propose a change to the Division by-laws to permit Associate well attended, with interesting papers and I have enjoyed Members to serve on Council. This was approved at the them in the past. Special General meeting held on Thursday 19 May. We see A development which is being introduced is for sections to this as a very important change which will permit younger record the lectures given at some of their section meetings. members to take an active part in the running of the Division These recordings include a view of the presenter and the and we are now able to welcome Associate Members to slides, along with the sound. It is still a bit experimental the Council. I know that there are one or two enthusiastic ,but I’m sure that it will become more common in the future. Associate Members who would like to be able to contribute, I know that this has been done by both the NSW and the and look forward to their input. Tasmanian sections. The former can be accessed at http:// I’m pleased to report that progress towards the Single www.mediavisionz.com.au/ea_flash/syd/2011/110302- National Jurisdiction is continuing, with AMSA now in easyd/index.htm, whilst the Tasmanian section has still the consultative phase. A number of meetings have been held around the country and, if you didn’t make it to one to upload its recordings. of these, then please contact AMSA for more details. The RINA Council in London is also considering something Information provided by AMSA on progress is included similar, but using a different system modelled along the in this edition on Pages 47 and 48. Whilst in general this is lines of that used by the Society for Petroleum Engineering. supported by RINA, there are a number of points of detail Presentations are also broadcast live, with the virtual where more consideration is required. The Institution is in audience being able to ask questions by email which are effective dialogue with AMSA regarding these issues and, answered by the presenter at the end of the lecture. The if members would like more information or would like to presentations are also recorded and can be viewed after raise any further aspects of concern, then please contact the occasion — although without the opportunity to ask either myself or the Secretary. questions. Other proposed changes to the Navigation Act are also of I think that these developments are very important, importance to the industry. These are designed to result in particularly for those Australian members who are not able an increase in the number of Australian-flagged ships, and, to attend many technical meetings in person so, if you have hence, to increase the size of the Australian maritime sector. any thoughts on these developments, then please contact a The Council is monitoring these developments but, at this Council member or me. stage, we have decided not to make a formal submission to Martin Renilson the process. If any members have any thoughts on this please President then contact either the Secretary or me. [email protected] In the last edition I mentioned that we had recently made a submission to the Inquiry into Defence Procurement, which is being undertaken by the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. The Institution has been asked to attend a hearing in Canberra to discuss this further and I will be attending the hearing with the Secretary. The main points we made in this submission were the vital importance of Department of Defence being an intelligent customer; the need to maintain a continuous stream of work to the industry, and the importance of taking Australian conditions into account during the design of warships. A copy of our submission can be obtained from the Committee at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/fadt_ctte/ procurement/submissions.htm. If you have not already had a chance to look at our submission or those from other organisations, then I encourage you to do so. This is important for the future of the profession in Australia, as there are some who are arguing that future warships ought to be ‘bought off the shelf’ from overseas. The submission date for abstracts for the forthcoming Pacific 2012 International Maritime Conference has now passed. We have a good number of excellent offerings and the program committee is currently assessing these. As in past years there is a number who have requested that they be refereed, and we have agreed to do this provided that they are submitted by 3 October. There is then only a very short time after that to referee them and for the authors to Martin Renilson take these comments into account so, if you are asked by a President, RINA Australian Division The Australian Naval Architect 2 and Darwin, for the Navy’s smaller ships like patrol boats. Editorial Locating and constructing a base for major fleet units is not, The recent announcement by the Minister for Defence that however, a trivial task. the Government is to undertake an Australian Defence Force A major fleet base needs to be located where people want to posture review has prompted considerable speculation about live. Partners need to be able to find suitable and satisfying the possibility of a new base for major ships of the RAN in employment, and there must be educational facilities for the north of Australia, with speculative images of air-warfare families, including universities. The port in which the base destroyers alongside in well-known northern ports. is located needs to have defendable, all-weather deep-water When it recently called for public submissions on the access with a manageable tide range. The base would need review, the Department of Defence made it clear that the a sizeable area of land within the port for the necessary review will focus at a strategic level, rather than focussing facilities and cyclone-proof berths for the ships. In addition on individual bases, etc., but that is unlikely to quell calls to having the usual services required by a major fleet base, for a new ‘Fleet Base North’ for the RAN to complement access to comprehensive industrial infrastructure would be or replace the present Fleet Base East and Fleet Base West. essential. In his report on future Australian defence submitted to the Despite the enormous size of Australia, the geography and young Commonwealth government just over 100 years ago demography of the country suggest that the options for on 1 March 1911, Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson proposed locating such a base are very limited and the likely cost very that primary naval bases be located in Sydney in the east high. Will we have a ‘Fleet Base North’ in the foreseeable and at Cockburn Sound in the west, with secondary bases future? I think not — but additional forward-operating bases around the coast of Australia and Tasmania — at the River are another matter.