Raytheon Australia has announced it has commenced work as the Royal Australian Navy’s Project SEA1180 Arafura class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) capability life cycle manager.

Similar to the RAAF’s platform steward model, the role of capability life cycle manager has been developed through the RAN’s Plan Galileo sustainment program which aims to achieve nationally-integrated, reliable, and affordable sustainment system across all of its ship classes.

“As the OPV Capability Life Cycle Manager, Raytheon Australia will be leveraging our experience in complex program management for Australia’s defence to provide specialist services to support the planning, assurance and optimisation of the through life sustainment of the OPVs,” Raytheon Australia Managing Director, Michael Ward said in a statement.

“We will also support the development of an Australian supply chain for the OPVs, ensuring a sovereign industrial capability is formed as each of the OPVs progress from acquisition to sustainment,” he added. “This is not a traditional maritime sustainment role, rather it is the first step towards a nationally integrated sustainment environment for Australia and the implementation of the Royal Australian Navy’s Plan Galileo.”

The RAN has ordered 12 Arafura class OPVs. Based on the Luerssen OPV80 design, the first two vessels of the class are currently under construction at the Osborne shipyard in Port Adelaide, and two more are being built at the Henderson shipyard near Fremantle in WA. The core of Raytheon’s capability life cycle management team will be based at Henderson.