Expanded defence manufacturing facility in Adelaide to support RAN submarine and surface ship programs
Babcock Australasia has opened a new facility that will see its Adelaide maintenance, manufacturing, and repair capability expand in support of critical sovereign army and navy programs.
The $31 million Department of Defence-accredited building will be home to more than 100 Babcock engineers and technical experts working across nationally significant Defence programs including:
Collins-class submarine in-service sustainment and future Life of Type Extension (LOTE) support
Systems on the Hunter-class frigates
Counter chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (C-CBRNE) asset management
Future AUKUS endeavours
The Woodville North facility features a 4,000-square-metre, custom-built manufacturing workshop and warehouse, equipped with state-of-the-art technology to increase operational throughput, along with an additional 2,000 square metres of office space.
The new building, which replaces Babcock’s operations at Osborne, has been flexibly designed to expand so it can easily cater for the future needs of the Royal Australian Navy’s submarine program, along with a broader pipeline of activities, including, for example, the substantial work required to successfully execute AUKUS Pillar 1 and 2.
Babcock’s Collins-class delivery team will conduct deep maintenance on several of the fleet’s key systems from the new specialist facility, along with future LOTE modernisation packages as part of its partnership with ASC.
The building – owned and constructed by Commercial and General and leased to Babcock under a long-term arrangement – is designed to be carbon neutral in operation and features a 99kW rooftop solar array, ground water harvesting, electric vehicle changing stations, energy-saving lighting, and end of trip facilities.
The new facility will be fully operational by the end of the year.
