Naval Group looks to double staff to work on Future Submarine Project

Amid renewed criticism of the Future Submarine Project, 50 senior staff from the Defence Department will be redeployed to Adelaide to join Naval Group.

Submarine architect Sue-Ellen Jahshan. Pic Roy VanDerVegt

About 50 senior staff from the Defence Department will be redeployed to Adelaide next month to work with Naval Group on the Future Submarines project, as the French defence giant looks to double its Australian workforce to 500 by the end of this year.

Amid renewed criticism of the subs project — including speculation it could even be cancelled on cost grounds and awarded to another builder — Naval Group insisted it was working closely with the federal government and committed to Australia for the long haul.

The comments were backed by Defence Minister Linda Rey­nolds, while the Department of Defence also revealed the pending deployment of its own ­personnel to be co-located with Naval Group staff at the company’s new Port Adelaide facility.

Naval Group Australia chief executive John Davis said Australian manufacturers were already benefiting from the company’s first $900m package for local builders to kickstart construction of the subs.

“Our first local manufacturing package sent a clear message to Australian industry that we mean business, and there (is) more to come,” Mr Davis said.

“Australian manufacturers have shown they stand ready to step up and play their part in building submarines that will be critical for Australia’s defence.

“Designing and building Australia’s 12 Attack-class sub­marines is one of the most significant undertakings in our nation’s history. We already employ everyone from apprentice welders and human resources professionals to computer software technicians and engineers.

“The potential benefits for the nation from this program are immense and will last a generation.”

Naval Group’s Australian workforce will eventually reach 1700. The opening of its Port ­Adelaide office last year took staff numbers to 250, a figure that will double by the end of 2021. They include Naval Group Australia detailed design manager Sue-Ellen Jahshan, who said a love of boating set her on a course to study naval architecture.

“The program is going to employ so many Australians over such a long time,” Ms Jahshan said. “It has already started. We are in the early stages with the transfer of detailed design being progressed, and construction at the shipyard under way.

“It’s incredible how quickly the workforce is already growing. There are new people coming on board all the time and we’re going to double again in the next year …

“As a kid, I could never have imagined that this was what I’d end up doing.”

Senator Reynolds said the benefits of the project to manufacturers were being felt. “Already, just under 2000 Australian companies have registered their interest in the program with Naval Group Australia, and potential Australian suppliers are readying themselves for the delivery of equipment for the submarine,” she said.

“Through this program, this government is creating multi-generational, highly skilled jobs in Australia, benefiting Australian workers and Australian companies in the supply chains for construction and sustainment. With the growing ­involvement of Australian universities and companies, we are seeing the benefits of Australian industry readying themselves for a step‑change in advanced manufacturing and technology opportunities.”

A Defence spokesman said the department would be deploying staff to Adelaide shortly and further deployments would be made over the life of the project to ensure it met Australia’s needs.

There remains a view within sections of Defence that Naval Group should not have won the contract for the replacement of the Collins-class subs with 12 new Attack-class vessels. Some ­Defence figures preferred an off-the-shelf option and baulked at the cost of the $80bn project.

Reports last week suggested the pending design stage of the project had been estimated to cost between $2.5bn and $3bn but Naval Group’s estimated costs had blown out by 50 per cent.

The speculation caused alarm in South Australia, whose economic future is hugely reliant on defence, but sources close to the project said there was “no way” the contract would be torn up. Premier Steven Marshall said he was not privy to talks between the federal government and Naval Group about the project but as far as South Australia was concerned, things were working well.