The Australian Government (Commonwealth of Australia) has selected French company Naval Group to deliver a fleet of 12 regionally superior submarines, to be known as the Attack Class, for the Royal Australian Navy. The submarines will be built in a modern construction yard in Osborne, South Australia.

The Future Submarine Program will deliver Australia a capability that can be built, operated and maintained with sovereignty, which maximises opportunities for Australian industry throughout all phases of the programme.

As the design of the Attack class progresses, Naval Group continues to deliver on its commitment to achieve this through its suppliers, a pool that now includes the Starrag Group.

Starrag was selected to supply a Droop+Rein G 110TT HR100 C vertical gantry machine, capable of handling both large hull elements and high-precision components for submarine construction. With traversing paths of 14,000 x 13,000 x 3,500mm in the X/Y/Z axes and an 11m turntable, the gantry will be the largest machine tool ever put into service in Australia.

Starrag is collaborating with the Australian machine tool manufacturer H&H Machine Tools Australia to deliver this important equipment. The company will manufacture key components, supply qualified personnel to help install the gantry and provide technical support for the entire life cycle of the machine, securing an enduring role in servicing and maintenance in the future.

Starrag will provide H&H with the necessary expertise through on-site training and quality control, transferring critical skills and sovereign ability to Australian industry.

The contract was awarded following a complex selection process. Noting its many years of experience and its extensive, not merely technical, expertise in handling large, complicated projects, the Starrag Group was an obvious selection for this contract.

Not every machine supplier can manage an order of this magnitude from over 15,000km away — but this is no problem for the Starrag Group, as Australian sales partner H&H Machine Tool Solutions will facilitate local work, ensuring that everything runs smoothly on-site. A previous project carried out in South Australia, for which Starrag supplied four machines for aircraft construction, shows a proven track record in this regard.