University of Tasmania teams up with international defence firm to develop technology in state

The Australian Maritime College and international defence firm Thales will develop sonar testing equipment in Tasmania.

Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Waller arrives in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

PREMIER Will Hodgman has hailed a University of Tasmania deal to develop sonar testing equipment for the Royal Australia Navy in Tasmania a “major win”.

The Australian Maritime College and international defence firm Thales will team up at the university’s Launceston defence precinct to develop the state-of-the-art equipment.

A memorandum of understanding for a Thales presence at the Maritime Defence Innovation and Design Precinct was signed by University of Tasmania Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black and Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins in Sydney yesterday.

Rufus Black. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

The precinct was designed to help the Australian Government deliver on its $90 billion Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise, including the $50 billion Future Submarine Program, by supporting the high-value testing and evaluation needs of the Navy.

The Australian Government has committed $30 million to Phase 1 of the Precinct as part of the Launceston City Deal.

Mr Hodgman said having one of the world’s largest defence contractors as a key partner further cemented Tasmania’s place in the national defence sector.

Will Hodgman. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“The world-class precinct will create more than 150 ongoing jobs in northern Tasmania and transform Newnham into a prime defence learning and innovation hub,” he said

AMC, Australia’s national institute for maritime education, training and research, has a suite of the Southern Hemisphere’s best maritime related research facilities that will enable critical design inputs into the building of 57 naval vessels over the next 30 years.

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Professor Black said Tasmania was uniquely positioned to play an important role in the regeneration of Australia’s naval capabilities.

“Our relationship with Thales is based on a combination of the distinctive strengths of our people and our facilities and the nature of our island home itself,” he said.

“We have world-renowned expertise in maritime research and engineering, we have state-of-the-art facilities, and we have access to Tasmania’s incredible lakes, which are vital to our work with Thales.”