An unusual characteristic of the RAN fleet is its diversity: a challenge to safe and reliable operation. With many new vessels also on the stocks, DNV is a vital partner in the Navy’s future plans.
DNV is helping RAN improve overall safety and integrity. Capt. Drew McKinnie is director general of the Navy Certification and Acceptance Agency; he points out that the fleet is facing some real challenges in Parent Navy responsibilities and overheads. Our uniquely mixed fleet is undergoing major renewal and this will stretch our resources. We are small in manpower terms only about 12,500 in uniform, and a similar number of defence civilians. We do not have the capacity to do everything in-house like the major powers. Our relationship with the defence and maritime industries is strategically vital. Classification societies such as DNV are important links in helping us to deliver capability, to operate safely, to fight and win at sea.
Adopting commercial standards
Like many nations, the Royal Australian Navy has seen a major shift from in-house to commercial outsourcing. The former Naval Dockyards have been superseded by commercial yards, and centralised design and maintenance bureaux have devolved much of this work to industry arranged through the Systems Project Offices.
Says Capt. McKinnie, This is not without risk the challenge is to do it safely, and again DNV is a partner, helping us to gain required assurances of safety and integrity. Also, in our new acquisitions of weapons platforms, we are moving towards greater use of commercial standards and class rules, simpler specification and less reliance on military specifications. The opportunity to contribute to the navalising of ship rules and commercial standards is good for us, for industry, for government, and for the classification societies.
DNV in Australia has been successful in winning contracts for Classification services for Huon Class Minehunter coastal vessels and two Landing Platform Amphibious (LPA) vessels. The scope of work involves establishing a ship-specific Rule set to provide a basis for appropriate through-life survey and maintenance requirements.
Culture of accountability
Capt. McKinnie reminds us that the Navy had a serious wakeup call with the Westralia fire that claimed the lives of four sailors. The importance of effective regulation and management of safety was highlighted. As a Navy, we were starkly reminded that we needed to take certification, safety and classification seriously and build stronger ties with the commercial maritime community. DNV is helping us to reduce the risk of future tragedies. Crew at sea risking their lives daily in our grey ships, in an inherently dangerous environment, are the real customers. We are protecting their lives, and Australias naval capability.
Vice-Admiral David Shackleton took over as Chief of Navy in July 1999, and one of his first tasks in the top job was to assemble senior leaders and spell out his challenge to redefine the Navy as a high-performance, capability-focused organisation. He commissioned a report from six middle-ranking offers, who became known as Tomorrows Navy Team (TNT), to identify major problems and come up withsolutions.
The TNT plan was for a Navy with a flatter organisational structure, with Navy Headquartersresponsible for overall performance, and Maritime Command responsible for operations in a military theatre, sitting above seven so-called Force Element Groups (FEGs) to manage the different aspects of the Navys weapons arsenal. The intention of the groups was to align accountability and reduce the diffuse management structure which previously made it difficult to pinpoint management problems.
Training in safety & risk management
Navy executives place a very high value on DNVs contribution to training in ship safety and certification. Training and education are vital in changing attitudes, engendering better safety case management, better decisions, and a more robust and professional approach.
McKinnie comments, Its making a real difference in our operations and maintenance. The SSMO course provided by DNV is great value. Were looking at Australianising it our Force Element Group structure in our Navy, the integration of acquisition and support in our Defence Materiel Organisation, plus the regulatory roles and functions embedded in Navy Systems Command, all affect the responsibility and accountability framework for safety case management. But the methodologies, skills and knowledge are all entirely applicable. Our AS4360 risk management standard is worlds best practice, and interleaves very well with the SSMO approach.
The challenges ahead
The Royal Australian Navy has some significant challenges ahead in improving the regulation of design, maintenance and safety, whilst still ensuring cost-effective, affordable support. We need to improve the application of sound risk management in our contractor support and classification society relationships, says McKinnie, a more collaborative approach, with shared use of safety case systems. We cannot go on accepting or ignoring risk. DNV could help us make more informed risk assessments in many areas, assisting with surveys and risk data management.
He believes that there is real benefit in early engagement of the Navy and Defence Materiel Organisation with strong and credible classification societies, such as DNV, in developing the design of future combatant ships.
We have tended to let the prime shipbuilder contractors do this in the past. I think we should work more closely with Class in the future, particularly where we are the Parent Navy.