Advanced Magnetic Ranges Australia Pty Limited (AMRA), a joint venture between Victorian-based AMOG and French naval technology specialist ECA Group, has submitted their bid for the Royal Australian Navy’s new magnetic treatment facility.
The navy is procuring the capability under the project SEA1350 Phase 2.
Project SEA1350 Phase 2 is set to replace an existing deperming facility at Fleet Base West and is seeking an innovative ‘over-run’ solution. It replaces the traditional deperming process of wrapping the entire body of a ship or submarine in a massive wire coil and passing electricity through the coil to reduce the magnetic ‘signature’ of the vessel.
The AMRA approach instead uses wire coils laid down on the seabed, supported by a custom-designed subsea structure, through which a specific current form is passed as the vessel moves over the coils. This single day ‘over-run’ process provides a significant operational advantage when compared to the traditional wrapping, according to AMRA.
AMOG CEO Ben Clark said the submission included a list of Australian subcontractors and SMEs who will ensure that Australian industry content is maximized, whilst delivering technology from ECA Group.
“Safety at sea is a continuous challenge since it is a hostile environment. Beyond the fact that AMRA’s solution is based on a tried, tested and approved method of ship protection through magnetic risk management such as deperming of submarines, our solution is a real technological breakthrough as it simplifies the process and reduces the time required,” Philippe Novelli, Chief Commercial Officer of the Robotics Division at ECA Group, added.
