Building Australia’s Air Warfare Capability
Media Release
AIR WARFARE DESTROYER (AWD) PROJECT HEAVY
LIFTING
Date: Thursday 20/08/2009
The CEO of the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance, John Gallacher said today the $8
billion project has taken two more significant steps on its way to delivering the first of three
AWDs in 2014.
“First, at the ship yard at Osborne in South Australia, we have let a contract worth about $14
million for the provision of what will be Australia’s biggest heavy lift crane. In many ways the
heavy lift crane is an example of the size of the project as a whole.
“It weighs more than 500 tonnes itself, will need a number of smaller cranes to assemble and
has a boom close to 100 metres in length--that is taller than Adelaide’s Hyatt Hotel.
“With a maximum capacity of 900 tonnes it can lift the equivalent of a fully loaded airbus
aircraft. At Osborne it will be used to assemble the ships, lifting and manoeuvring the blocks
weighing up to 250 tonnes each that will make up the AWDs,” Mr Gallacher said.
In a different area of the AWD project the AWD Alliance has awarded a contract worth more
than $25 million to the Tasmanian company Taylor Bros Slipway and Engineering for
provision of engineering and production services to the project and to deliver a range of
accommodation products for the AWDs.
“We are delighted to have on board Taylor Bros whose involvement in the maritime industry
goes back to 1936. It will have responsibility for providing some of the most important
components of the AWDs—in the areas where the ships’ sailors will live and work.
“Taylor Bros has a substantial track record of providing a diverse range of services in support
of domestic and international maritime based industries including project management,
design, manufacturing, installation and through life support,” Mr Gallacher said.
Mr Gallacher said that as the project moves into the production phase it has in place $450
million worth of contracts to build the blocks which will make up the ships, major combat
systems contracts and contracts placed for other major components of the ships.
“These, together with substantial progress on the development of the shipyard and other
facilities at Osborne and a successful recruitment program, demonstrate the AWD project is in
good shape,” he said.
For further information contact:
James Cannon
AWD Alliance Communications Manager
P: (08) 8165 7368
M: 0417 880 481 or 0433 884 238
E: james.cannon@ausawd.com
NEWS 
