The Australian Submarine Corporation will be closely monitored by inspectors from Lloyd's Register Asia following a costly blunder that has derailed construction of the Australian Navy's new air warfare destroyer.By: ShelldrakeIndependent inspectors have been ordered in to monitor the construction of the navy's first air warfare destroyer in a Melbourne shipyard after a central keel block was bungled, throwing the $8 billion project into chaos.
The decision to tighten the scrutiny of the Melbourne arm of the AWD project reflects concern about the quality of work being carried out by subcontractor BAE Systems Australia, which manages the Williamstown shipyard where the mistake was made.
The Australian yesterday revealed that faulty welding and inadequate quality control at Williamstown had resulted in the central keel block of the first AWD warship, the Hobart, being made to the wrong dimensions -- a blunder that will cost tens of millions of dollars and delay the project by about six months.
It is understood the chief shipbuilder in the AWD project, the Adelaide-based Australian Submarine Corporation, has asked shipping experts from Lloyd's Register Asia to visit the Williamstown shipyards to ensure the blocks are being built to internationally recognised standards.
ASC is believed to have asked Lloyd's to become involved about four weeks ago when it became aware of the gravity of the keel bungle. The Lloyd's advisers are likely to visit the shipyards once a week for at least the next six months to help oversee the construction.
Spokespeople from ASC and Lloyd's declined to comment yesterday. The three new 6500-tonne AWDs are being built in Melbourne, Newcastle and Adelaide and were due to enter service from 2014, but this schedule is now unlikely to be met.
They should come and test it out in Scotland.
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