Australia's naval capabilities are about to get a major boost thanks to a groundbreaking partnership! ASC, the nation's submarine specialist, and shipbuilder Austal have joined forces to revolutionize how we build and maintain our naval vessels. This collaboration, formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is set to leverage the power of additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, to strengthen Australia's defense capabilities.
Signed at the 2025 Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney, this partnership marks a significant stride in integrating cutting-edge technology into our shipbuilding and submarine sustainment processes. But what does this mean in practice? Essentially, it means faster production times, improved component performance, and greater flexibility in how we build and maintain our naval assets.
This partnership will directly support both the Collins Class and the US-built Virginia Class submarines, ensuring a robust domestic AM supply chain. It also includes comprehensive workforce development initiatives, providing training and upskilling opportunities in advanced manufacturing technologies.
Danielle Bull, ASC's Chief Capability Officer, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting the transformative potential of AM for Australia's maritime industry. "Additive manufacturing offers transformative potential for Australia’s maritime industry — enabling faster production, improved part performance, and greater flexibility in shipbuilding, maintenance and sustainment," she stated. ASC is already exploring ways to integrate AM into its operations, and this collaboration with Austal will accelerate these efforts, embedding AM within the broader Australian supply chain. This will lead to increased resilience, reduced lead times, and enhanced performance and maintainability of crucial components.
Austal USA's Advanced Technologies division has already made significant strides in AM, operating the U.S. Navy's Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) in collaboration with BlueForge Alliance. This facility is dedicated to qualifying and scaling AM parts for defense applications, including submarine platforms. Glenn Callow, Austal's Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the company's long-term investments in advanced manufacturing, stating that Austal has been aligning 3D printing technologies with the needs of its maritime customers since 2020.
Don Hairston, Austal USA's Vice President for Submarines and Advanced Technologies, is excited about the opportunity to share the knowledge, capabilities, and lessons learned from the AM CoE with Austal Australia, ASC, and their AM partners. "Together, we’re pushing the boundaries to build faster, more resilient worldwide supply chains for defence," he said.
The MoU is aligned with broader defense initiatives to enhance sovereign capability, ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of maritime innovation. But here's where it gets controversial... Could this partnership potentially shift the balance of power in the region? And what are the long-term implications for Australia's defense industry?
What do you think? Are you excited about the potential of additive manufacturing in shipbuilding? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
About ASC:
ASC has been Australia’s submarine builder and sustainer for 40 years. They built the Collins Class submarines and now maintain and upgrade them, while providing in-operation service and support. In March 2024, ASC was selected as the Australian Government’s Sovereign Submarine Partner to sustain and, together with BAE Systems, jointly build conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines at Osborne, known as SSN AUKUS.
For more information: www.asc.com.au
About Austal
Austal is Australia’s strategic shipbuilder and defence prime contractor, designing, constructing, and sustaining some of the world’s most advanced commercial and defence vessels. In its 37 years of operations, Austal has built more than 350 vessels for 122 commercial and defence operators in 59 countries. Austal is Australia’s largest defence exporter and first ASX-listed shipbuilder. The Company has industry-leading shipyards in Australia, the United States of America, Philippines and Vietnam, and service centres worldwide. Austal delivers iconic monohull, catamaran and trimaran commercial and defence vessel platforms, in aluminium and steel.
For more information: https://www.austal.com/.
Media contact:
Austal
Cameron Morse
Mobile: +61 (0)433 886 871
Email: [emailprotected]
