Taree boat manufacturer, Steber International has begun construction of the first of five new vessels to support the Royal Australian Navy’s new mine countermeasure capability.
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Member for Defence, Marise Payne and member for Lyne and Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Dr David Gillespie visited the Taree boatbuilder on Friday, February 23 to commend Steber International on its contribution to the navy’s Deployable Mine Countermeasure Project.
“These vessels will be configured as unmanned surface vessels and mine countermeasure support boats that deploy advanced systems to protect our navy’s assets,” Minister Payne said.
“Steber International has been awarded a contract worth more than $6 million by prime contractor Thales Australia to deliver five vessels to support the navy.
“As a result of this contract, Steber expects to create 10 new jobs, including specialist staff and apprentices.”
Steber is also a key partner with Ocius Technology in the innovative Bluebottle Program.
The Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel runs on solar, wind and wave energy and can remain at sea for months at a time, offering the potential for future cutting-edge capability enhancements.
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“As a senator for NSW and Minister for Defence, I am always impressed to see local businesses delivering capability for our Defence Force.”
During the local industry tour, Minister Payne and Dr Gillespie also visited Australian marine companies Bale Defence and Birdon Marine, both key players in a robust local defence industry.
“The government is making an unprecedented investment in Australia’s defence capability and I am very pleased to see local businesses here in Lyne delivering cutting edge technology for the Australian Defence Force,” Dr Gillespie said.
“Not only is this creating a more advanced ADF but it is helping to create much needed jobs and investment for our region.”
