THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Volume 18 Number 2 May 2014 Australia’s first air-warfare destroyer, the future HMAS Hobart, taking shape in Adelaide (Photo AWD Alliance) THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Journal of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (Australian Division) Volume 18 Number 2 May 2014 Cover Photo: CONTENTS NUSHIP Canberra, the first of the RAN’s new 2 From the Division President LHDs, approaching Sydney Heads inbound for 2 Editorial the first time on 13 March 2014 (RAN Photograph) 3 Letters to the Editor 5 News from the Sections The Australian Naval Architect is published four times per year. All correspondence and advertising copy should be 18 Classification Society News sent to: 19 From the Crows Nest The Editor The Australian Naval Architect 20 Coming Events c/o RINA 21 General News PO Box No. 462 Jamison Centre, ACT 2614 33 Random Thoughts of a Geriatric Naval AUSTRALIA Architect — R Campbell email: [email protected] The deadline for the next edition of The Australian Naval Ar- 38 The Internet chitect (Vol. 18 No. 3, August 2014) is Friday 25 July 2014. 39 The Profession Articles and reports published in The Australian Naval 40 Education News Architect reflect the views of the individuals who prepared them and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not neces- 42 Industry News sarily represent the views of the Institution. The Institution, its officers and members make no representation or warranty, 46 Membership expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or 47 Vale Jim Wort correctness of information in articles or reports and accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or other liability 48 Naval Architects on the Move arising from any use of this publication or the information which it contains. 49 From the Archives The Australian Naval Architect ISSN 1441-0125 © Royal Institution of Naval Architects 2014 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 May 2014 1 “Once again, the pages of The ANA continue to show the From the Division President wide variety of vessels which are designed by our world- For those of you who were unable to attend the Annual capable naval architects, and built both here and overseas General Meeting of the Australian Division in Perth on — they are a credit to our members. 19 March 2014, the report which I presented to the meeting “The year ahead, while not being marked by any major on our activities during 2013 was as follows: maritime events, will still be challenging for all us and I “Another busy twelve months for the Australian Division look forward to working with you all for the benefit and has flashed by since my report to the last AGM in 2013. The enhancement of our profession and the Institution.” Division Council met in June, September and December I would remind you all that the closing date for nominations and will meet again before this report is presented to the for the Walter Atkinson Award, mentioned above, is 15 July 2014 AGM. I again wish to acknowledge the support that I 2014. This date is fast approaching and I look to you all to have received from all of our Council members around the consider the papers presented in the last twelve months and country and, particularly, Vice President Dr Tony Armstrong, forward nominations through your Sections or directly to Treasurer Craig Boulton and Secretary Rob Gehling. our Secretary, Rob Gehling, email rina.austdiv@optusnet. “The key outcomes from each Division Council meeting are com.au. reported quarterly in The Australian Naval Architect. Thanks As always, I am available for discussion and comment on again to John Jeremy and Phil Helmore for their ongoing any topic of relevance to Australian naval architects, by enthusiasm in the production of this great publication, and email at [email protected] or telephone (0418) 918 050. a particular mention for Jesse Millar who took on the task Jim Black of Advertising Manager for The ANA. Thanks, too, to all of our members who have contributed to the enhancement and promotion of our profession in myriad ways throughout Editorial the year, be it in government, industry, academia or through participation in Section activities. At some 320 pages, the recent Australian National Audit Office report on the Air Warfare Destroyer Program “One of the highlights of the year was the Pacific 2013 (Audit Report No. 22 2013–14) contains much which International Maritime Conference held in October to will be familiar to those who have been involved in naval coincide with RAN’s Fleet Review. By all accounts the construction projects in the last three decades or so. conference was again a great success, and my thanks go to all of the organisers for putting in so much of their time to Adopting a proven design which has been already built make it so. Thanks also to those members who gave their and is in service with another navy appears to be a low- time to crew the RINA stand at the accompanying exhibition. risk approach, but adapting technical information from a different shipbuilding culture and modifying it to meet “I was particularly proud to be able to present the revived Australian requirements is no simple task, particularly Walter Atkinson Award to Ross Ballantyne and Gregor when the baseline design is continuing to evolve. With a Macfarlane during the SMIX Bash in December. Thanks are ship as complex as our new destroyers, design changes and due to Kim Klaka and the team who evaluated the entries and inconsistencies in production information are to be expected, selected the winner. I look forward to a wealth of papers from but the number reported, over 6000 revisions (to October around the country being nominated for this year’s award! 2013) to the 2132 production drawings, is certainly large “The year saw the introduction of the new National System by any measure. for Domestic Commercial Safety, keeping many of our An immature production package will have inevitable members busy on both sides of the fence as the system finds consequences on the cost of construction as the problems its feet — there is a lot of work to be done yet, but I have arising from detailed-design conflicts and design changes are been impressed with the willingness of most participants to resolved. Add to these difficulties the challenges associated work together for practical outcomes in this new legislative with the reestablishment of an experienced and capable environment. workforce and the development of quality standards which “Another achievement has been the reinvigoration of the are understood and accepted by all participants, and it is RINA–Engineers Australia Joint Board after a two-year not surprising that production productivity is lower than hiatus. The cooperation between our Institutions is more planned. It is simply not possible for an industry to keep important than ever in these times of legislative change, and skilled and experienced shipbuilders sitting around doing I am pleased that the Board will now meet at six-monthly nothing in shipbuilding whilst waiting for the next major intervals to consider and act upon matters of joint interest project. Capability will inevitably be lost, with consequent or concern. cost and delay as production restarts. The ANAO report “The year has also seen the release of the Defence White says that the project is currently facing a 6.8% overrun on Paper and the Future Submarine Industry Skills Plan. While target cost. This overrun may grow as many challenges the recent change of government will inevitably mean some still lie ahead in the completion, setting to work and trials reprioritising of Defence requirements, Council felt that it of the first ship. However, if future costs can be reasonably was important to make the Minister aware of our concerns contained, then the AWD Alliance will, in my opinion, have about the boom-and-bust nature of Defence shipbuilding in done well under the circumstances. The fact that it is a three- Australia, provide some thoughts on the way forward, and ship program will help and many of the difficulties of the offer to be involved as policies are developed. A letter to this early years of the project will have been passed as the two effect has been submitted to Minister Johnston. follow-on ships are built. The Australian Naval Architect 2 As has been stated many, many times, the only way to avoid prevent another gulf in continuity from causing an inevitable the difficulties faced by the AWD project (and others in the repeat of the problems faced in the early years of the AWD past) is by maintaining continuity in naval construction and program. the avoidance of the stop-start nature of naval shipbuilding Despite the repeated challenges of this nature faced by in Australia. We are not alone in learning this lesson — Australia’s naval shipbuilding industry the resultant ships there are overseas precedents as well. There have been have been well built and a credit to those who have built encouraging statements of intent from the Commonwealth them. I expect that our new destroyers will be no exception. Government to avoid the problem in the future; however, construction of the AWDs is now well advanced and hull John Jeremy block work is tapering off. It is arguably already too late to LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir, which have an unpleasant propensity to fall out of the sky Considering the current media attention given to the uses when mechanical failures occur.