RAN creates new Maritime Warfare Centre
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has opened a centralised warfighting agency called the Maritime Warfare Centre at Garden Island, Sydney.
Designed to enhance the RAN’s lethality in times of conflict, the centre merges the Royal Australian Navy Test and Evaluation Authority and Australian Maritime Warfare Centre into a centralised body.
Captain David Frost, director of the Maritime Warfare Centre, said ‘The First Principles Review and the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise has driven navy to re-think how they provide warfighting support.
‘Continuous shipbuilding requires continuous design, testing and tactical development, and navy is evolving to meet this challenge.’
The centre will ensure the navy is prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly growing modern navy in partnership with defence and industry, with test and tactics development teams to support navy programmes from inception to completion; planning, collecting and analysing data that will inform critical decisions about current and future systems.
Frost added: ‘In parallel, warfare programme and operational analysis teams will collaborate with agencies to develop plans across sea control, littoral, integrated air and missile defence and information warfare domains. These plans will provide the battle rhythm for all trials, ensuring the right systems are tested at the right time to support the right decisions.’
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Austal completes autonomy trials with former Royal Australian Navy patrol boat]()
Austal completes autonomy trials with former Royal Australian Navy patrol boat
The work took place under the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), which has been a collaboration between Austal, Greenroom Robotics, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Warfare Innovation Navy Branch.
-
![Singapore launches fourth and final Type 218SG submarine]()
Singapore launches fourth and final Type 218SG submarine
The era of southeast Asian submarine modernisation has been in full swing fuelled by growing tensions in the South China Sea.
-
![Keel laid for third Hellenic Navy frigate as harbour trials start for first]()
Keel laid for third Hellenic Navy frigate as harbour trials start for first
On 24 March 2022, Greece and Naval Group have signed a contract for three defence and intervention (FDI) frigates. Two warships will be due for delivery in 2025 and the third expected the following year, with the deal including an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.
-
![US senators raise Russian concerns over unprepared Coast Guard fleet]()
US senators raise Russian concerns over unprepared Coast Guard fleet
US Congress senators have warned that the US Coast Guard’s fleet cannot protect Arctic waters against Russian naval capabilities.
-
![New deal to make AUKUS cooperation easier]()
New deal to make AUKUS cooperation easier
The AUKUS agreement will support Australia’s purchase of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines under pillar one. Other pillars of the agreement cover high technology such as cyber, unmanned systems, AI, EW, undersea capabilities and information sharing between the three countries.
-
![Kongsberg contracted for Dutch and Belgian frigate propellers and drive shafts]()
Kongsberg contracted for Dutch and Belgian frigate propellers and drive shafts
In July 2023, Damen and Thales signed contracts to design, build and deliver four new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates for Belgium and the Netherlands.
