New Australian patrol vessels to be built by Fassmer Austal jv

AustalFassmer Pty Ltd won the deal, thought to be worth around AD 3 billion, against stiff competition from Netherlands-headquartered Damen and Germany’s Lürssen.
The joint venture team, the only one of the three contenders with an Australian surface shipbuilding capability, will build 12 Fassmer OPV80 units tailored to Australian Navy requirements, at shipbuilding facilities in Osborne and Henderson. Seven similar vessels have already been built at shipyards outside Germany for other customers, and the Fassmer OPV80 was recently chosen by the German Coast Guard ahead of other European companies.
In a statement, the German company said: “Fassmer plans to execute most of the work under its new Australian subsidiary which will ensure the development of the critical skills needed for an enduring sovereign shipbuilding capability.”