ASC and Penske Power Systems have announced that they intend to enter into an agreement to put MTU engines through their paces at ASC’s engine test facilities in Adelaide as part of an ongoing research-and-development (R&D) activity.

ASC interim chief executive officer Stuart Whiley stated that having ASC commissioned to conduct independent testing of submarine diesels would benefit the nation’s sovereign submarine capability.

“As Australia’s leading sovereign capability on submarine platforms, associated equipment, systems and suppliers, it is important for ASC to establish and grow collaborative partnerships with other industry-leading organisations,” Whiley said.

“By conducting independent tests on behalf of Penske, ASC engineers will have a unique opportunity to strengthen their knowledge about diesel engines operating against submarine-specific requirements, and draw on their knowledge about the challenges of the Australian context.”

Roger Gleeson, Penske national manager, Defence Programmes Group, stated that the organisation works closely with the defence sector to provide customised propulsion and power-generation solutions, along with life-of-type logistic support for combatants.

“We are excited at this collaborative opportunity to bolster research and capability development by working with ASC to independently test our diesel engines,” Gleeson said.

“ASC has an enviable reputation for achieving better than benchmark performance in its core Collins class submarine maintenance operations, and we appreciate the opportunity to access the unique expertise and experience of ASC’s highly skilled workforce and testing facilities.”