The six-story OST houses offices, meeting rooms, trades workshops, amenities and storage areas and is attached to Building 22, where the first frigate’s hull blocks are being consolidated.
Outfitting is one of the final phases in the shipbuilding process and involves integrating non-structural equipment to operate the vessel, as well as plumbing, electrical installation, carpentry and painting work.
Hunter Class Frigate Program Ship 1 Manager Mitch said Osborne is a state-of-the-art shipyard that is always evolving.
“With each new build program, everyone involved is always looking for new ways of doing and improving things. It was decided early on that the Hunter class frigates would come together inside a massive complex. Having the ships consolidated indoors protects the work from the weather, which enhances safety and productivity,” Mitch said.
"This became Building 22 and at 80 metres high, it can accommodate consolidation of 21 of the 22 blocks which makes up a Hunter, with each ship being nearly 150 metres long and just over 20 metres wide when completed. The ability to have a build line and block outfit line alongside each other in Building 22 is a real game changer.
“The new OST unlocks Building 22’s full potential because the 500 to 600 people from NUSHIP Hunter’s multidisciplined production teams are now working together under one roof with enabling facilities in close proximity. This saves time, increases support and provides easy access to the ship itself,” Mitch said.
With a history of constructing submarines, destroyers and offshore patrol vessels at the shipyard, Building 22’s OST took its genesis from other highly reputable assets already on the site.
“Two OSTs that were installed on the Common User Facility during the Hobart class destroyer build have proven to be very effective workhorses over the years. We took them as the basis for what we needed on Hunter and expanded upon them,” Mitch said.
“We worked with the Commonwealth of Australia and Australian Naval Infrastructure on the upscaled design for Hunter’s OST. It has a greater capability and, for example, has custom workshops for welding, electrical, mechanical and pipefitting production. Having quick access to the ship from the OST simplifies work planning and outfitting activities.”
Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) is responsible for the Osborne shipyard’s expansion and modernisation and were the project managers for Building 22’s OST construction.
The close collaboration with BAE Systems enabled ANI to identify what was important to the shipbuilding process. This delivered an impactful infrastructure that the whole team are proud of."Heath Doyle, ANI Project Director
The Hunter program is delivering a next-generation anti-submarine capability for the Royal Australia Navy and when in service, the frigates will be among the most advanced of their kind in the world.