THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Volume 18 Number 4 November 2014 NUSHIP Canberra arriving at Fleet Base East on 31 October 2014 to prepare for comissioning on 28 November (RAN photograph) THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ARCHITECT Journal of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (Australian Division) Volume 18 Number 4 November 2014 Cover Photo: CONTENTS Incat Tasmania’s recently-completed 70 m fast crew boat Muslim Magomayev on trials 2 From the Division President (Photo courtesy Incat Tasmania) 2 Editorial 3 Letters to the Editor The Australian Naval Architect is published four times per year. All correspondence and advertising copy should be 5 News from the Sections sent to: The Editor 17 Coming Events The Australian Naval Architect c/o RINA 20 Classification Society News PO Box No. 462 Jamison Centre, ACT 2614 21 The Internet AUSTRALIA email: [email protected] 22 General News The deadline for the next edition of The Australian Na- val Architect (Vol. 19 No. 1, February 2015) is Friday 32 Education News 23 January 2015. Articles and reports published in The Australian Naval 42 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, 48 Membership its officers and members make no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or 49 Naval Architects on the Move correctness of information in articles or reports and accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or other liability 51 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 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 November 2014 1 the Institution, so I admire his judgement for coming to his From the Division President conclusion. It seems somewhat ironical that I headed my last column Over the past year Jim had generally been in the habit of A time for change? That was certainly prophetic for me discussing his RINA tasks with me in my capacity as Vice- as I regret that, for personal reasons, I have had to step President so, when Jim resigned, there were no matters of aside from the Presidency several months earlier that had which I was unaware. The position of Vice-President exists been my intention when I took on this current year. I have to deal with these sorts of issues, so I offered to take over the thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of the past two-and-a-half remaining period of Jim’s Presidency until the next AGM years and hope that I have contributed in some small way to in March. At the Council meeting in October this offer was advancing the objectives of our Institution and highlighting accepted and extended until 2015, and Martin Renilson the profession of naval architecture within Australia. I have offered to take on the Vice-Presidential duties. been very ably supported during that time, and know that I I have been an active member of RINA since about 1975, am handing the reigns over to a good team now headed by attending the technical meetings in Sydney (1975–89) and Dr Tony Armstrong who has been my sounding board on Perth (1990–2014) on a regular basis, taking part in RINA most of the issues which have come before us in recent times. conferences, refereeing technical papers for publication in One matter which I am extremely pleased to report is the the Transactions, and I have been a member of the High- finalisation of the amended text of the RINA/Engineers Speed Vessel Group (a RINA sub-committee) since its Australia Agreement of Cooperation which has just been inception. Although I am now retired from full-time work, agreed and should be signed by the time you read this I am still involved in all of these RINA activities and keep edition of The ANA. The main feature of the amendment is close to our industry. the updating of the Reciprocal Recognition for Membership Our immediate issues for the next twelve months include which, I know, a number of you have been awaiting for finalisation of the joint agreement between RINA and some time now. If it is not quite available as this edition Engineers Australia, which Jim has been helping with, goes to press, it should be available very shortly thereafter responding to the Senate inquiry into naval shipbuilding and we will ensure that it is promptly distributed via your in Australia, assisting where possible with what appears Section secretaries. to be a difficult transition to a single national jurisdiction, So it just remains for me to thank you all for your support and making RINA more visible in Australia. I will work and to ensure you of mine through the interesting years with our Vice-President, Secretary and Council to get the ahead of us. Hopefully I will be able to play a more active best for our members on these and other matters. Feel free part again before too long. to contact me on [email protected] if you have any pressing RINA issues. With my best regards, Tony Armstrong Jim Black Editorial One of the features of a vacuum of information is the proliferation of rumours. The Royal Australian Navy’s future submarine project is a case in point. To the public eye, very little appears to have been happening over the last couple of years — an impression which is, hopefully, quite false but, inevitably, snippets of information emerge from which conclusions are rapidly drawn. The emergence of the Japanese Souryu-class submarine as a possible contender for the RAN’s new submarine illustrates. Of course, there is no smoke without fire, and other emerging suggestions include the possible construction of the new submarines overseas noting, as we are being frequently reminded, that the support of the submarines through life is a sizeable task in itself which will employ many people for decades. There are also those who suggest that we simply purchase submarines ‘off the shelf’ to an existing design, despite many Outgoing President Jim Black with incoming Presdent reminders that the Australian requirements inevitably mean Tony Armstrong on 24 September 2014 a large, long-range diesel-electric submarine of which there It is the nature of our profession that there are times when are few examples anywhere. The environment in which our life can be extremely busy, and juggling priorities gets out of submarines operate that dictates this need is well known to hand. I have watched this happening to Jim (our immediate those in the submarine business, but it is not understood by past-President) over the past few months and it was obvious much of the Australian public. Similarly, the magnitude of that the stress was beginning to tell on him, so I was not the tasks of designing, building and supporting a modern surprised when he advised me that he was going to have to submarine is well understood by those in the business, but resign from his duties as President of the Australian Division not by the public. There is a need for a more-informed public or risk his performance at work. It takes some skill to make debate on these issues. such decisions for both your own sanity and the good of As the Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, The Australian Naval Architect 2 pointed out in his address to the Submarine Institute of Sydney from the builders, bringing with them intimate Australia’s biennial conference in Fremantle recently, knowledge of the submarines and their design philosophy. the recent RAND Corporation study completed for the We could also call upon the support of the parent navy, Department of Defence estimated that a team of around the Royal Navy, for technical support for most of their 1000 naval architects, engineers and draughtsmen would operational lives. The new RAN submarines are likely to be be required to design a new submarine, and assembling that unique and the RAN will be the parent navy. We will have team here and overseas would take many years. Lest anyone to rely upon our own resources and these are best hard won think that this estimate is wildly inaccurate, the US Navy through a local construction program of, at least, most of recently started work on the design of a new submarine the new submarines. to succeed the Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines, The Minister hinted in Fremantle that the number of new yet the first of class is not expected to become operational submarines may be fewer than the twelve previously until 2044, about 18 years after the first of Australia’s new announced and said that it is important that ‘Australia submarines should have gone to sea. proceed into the design phase as soon as practicable’. It appears inevitable that the RAN’s future submarine will Hopefully the information vacuum will be filled when the be the development of some existing design. Whilst the 2015 Defence White Paper emerges. plan to build that submarine in Australia appears to be I cannot help but be reminded of a statement by an Australian wavering, they should be built here. It has been pointed out Prime Minister some decades ago when he said ‘One thing that we successfully supported the Oberon-class submarines is absolutely certain, we have not yet made up our minds’.