Marintec™, the Maritime Institute of Technology, Navantia Australia’s joint institute with the University of Technology Sydney, has been awarded a $3.26 million contract from the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) to develop Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Human–AI Teaming framework.

Funded under ASCA’s Emerging and Disruptive Technologies program, the three-year project will create new ways for human operators and AI systems to collaborate in fast-paced, complex decision-making environments, enhancing the effectiveness and responsiveness of naval sustainment and maintenance operations at sea.

Frank Jensen, Director of Marintec commented that “this project gives naval sustainment teams a real decision advantage by helping people and AI work side by side to make faster, better-informed decisions when it matters most.”

Ross Yannatos, Navantia Australia’s Chief Information and Technology Officer highlights that “this program builds on Navantia Australia’s deep, practical knowledge of vessel operations and optimises asset performance.”

Navantia Australia Managing Director Israel Lozano said the partnership highlights the importance of applied research. “Collaborating with academia is essential to delivering real world capability,” he said. “Applied research is how we turn emerging technologies into practical solutions that address today’s operational and sustainment challenges.”

The initiative is set to deliver significant advancements in digital sustainment technologies, supporting the development of more integrated, automated, and resilient naval platforms. By establishing a foundation for next‑generation AI‑enabled systems, the project will help position the Royal Australian Navy to adopt smarter, more adaptive capabilities, improving fleet readiness and operational superiority into the future.

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia designs, integrates and supports naval maritime platforms and systems for the Royal Australian Navy. We are recognised as a Design Authority by the Commonwealth of Australia for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) and Landing Craft, Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Ships. At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian Supply Chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry.

As a leader in shipbuilding and maritime solutions, Navantia Australia is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of naval innovation. We have a commitment to developing advanced systems and technologies that enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and sustainability of the modern naval industry. Navantia Australia is committed to dynamic change and improvement and where possible we seek new equipment and processes to deliver improvements in cost, quality, efficiency and performance.

Navantia Australia, in partnership with RMIT University, has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the AEA Ignite program to develop a Neuromorphic Light Field Receiver Module for covert satellite to underwater communication. The partner and collaborator investments bring the total value for this project at $800,000. The grant forms part of the more than $72.5 million that has been distributed in the latest round of Australia’s Economic Accelerator Ignite program, with 174 projects from 27 universities receiving funding.

The project will develop and demonstrate a hybrid underwater communications and navigation module designed for autonomous underwater systems. Its purpose is to allow multiple vehicles to share information with accuracy and reliability while coordinating tasks in demanding marine environments.

“The project will deliver a flexible, high-performance unit capable of supporting a broad range of underwater platforms,” said Ross Yannatos, Navantia Australia Chief Information and Technology Officer. “By improving the quality and speed of information exchange, it will strengthen coordination, provide greater situational awareness, and enable more effective underwater operations across future maritime missions.”

“The benefits of this technology will reach far beyond defence, extending to offshore energy safety, environmental monitoring, and scientific research,” said Israel Lozano, Navantia Australia Managing Director. “Research partnerships such as this play a vital role in strengthening the national defence industry. They accelerate the development of advanced technologies, build sovereign skills, and ensure Australia remains at the forefront of maritime innovation.”

“This joint project builds on an established relationship between RMIT and Navantia, highlighting our organisations’ ongoing commitment to advancing innovative projects and building capability in sectors of national importance,” said Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond AO, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation. “By working together, we will strengthen research expertise and explore innovative solutions for Australia’s growing maritime sector.”

The technologies developed through this program support a broader shift toward more connected, intelligent, and autonomous maritime systems. These advancements are expected to influence the future of the maritime sector by improving underwater communication, enhancing the performance of uncrewed systems, and enabling faster, more informed decision making in complex operational environments.

 

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia designs, integrates and supports naval maritime platforms and systems for the Royal Australian Navy. We are recognised as a Design Authority by the Commonwealth of Australia for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) and Landing Craft, Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Ships. At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian Supply Chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry.

As a leader in shipbuilding and maritime solutions, Navantia Australia is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of naval innovation. We have a commitment to developing advanced systems and technologies that enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and sustainability of the modern naval industry. Navantia Australia is committed to dynamic change and improvement and where possible we seek new equipment and processes to deliver improvements in cost, quality, efficiency and performance.

Sydney, Australia

Navantia Australia and Multiverse Computing, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) model compression, have announced a strategic alliance to accelerate technological innovation within the Australian defence sector.

The partnership marks Multiverse Computing’s entry into the defence market in Australia, reinforcing its commitment to applying cutting-edge AI solutions to real-world challenges in national security, intelligence, and naval operations.

“This partnership with Navantia Australia marks a major milestone for Multiverse Computing as we bring our CompactifAI technology into the defence sector,” said Victor Gaspar, Chief Sales Officer, Multiverse Computing.

“By combining Navantia’s naval engineering excellence with our ability to deploy powerful AI models directly on the edge, we can deliver real-time intelligence and operational insights where they matter most onboard ships, submarines, and autonomous systems. Together, we are redefining what’s possible in defence innovation.”

Navantia Australia’s Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Ross Yannatos, said “Partnering with Multiverse represents a pivot moment in Navantia Australia’s ongoing innovation journey. By integrating our deep naval domain expertise with Multiverse’s quantum-inspired AI technologies, we are driving the development of smarter, more efficient systems that will define the next generation of digital capability for Australia’s defence sector”.

A Collaboration Born from Innovation

The alliance officially kicks off with Multiverse Computing joining Navantia Australia’s stand at IndoPac, one of the Indo-Pacific region’s most prominent defense industry events. Both companies have already identified joint innovation projects and defense innovation calls to collaborate on in the near term.

Central to the partnership is the integration of CompactifAI, Multiverse Computing’s novel AI compression technology, which enables AI intelligence on the edge running large language models (LLMs) and analytics directly on constrained or remote systems, such as naval ships or unmanned vehicles.

Strategic Edge Capabilities

Through CompactifAI, the companies aim to embed compressed LLMs aboard naval ships, giving officers real-time insights into operational performance, predictive maintenance, and decision support. This capability allows advanced analytics to function securely and efficiently even in disconnected environments.

Potential areas of collaboration include:

• Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems powered by compressed AI models for faster data analysis and reduced bandwidth needs
• Bringing Compact AI Innovation to Defense

By bringing its innovative AI compression techniques to defense applications, Multiverse Computing provides a strategic advantage in intelligence and surveillance operations. CompactifAI’s ability to reduce the size of AI models while maintaining accuracy allows for secure, efficient, and scalable AI deployment at the tactical edge.

This partnership cements Navantia Australia’s position as a leader in digital transformation and smart naval systems, while enabling Multiverse Computing to showcase its technology’s transformative potential in mission-critical defense applications.

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia delivers advanced, innovative, and technologically superior solutions the Australian Defence Force, underpinned by deep expertise in design, engineering services, and systems integration within Australian warships. Our key difference is anchored in our deep product knowledge of naval vessel and systems design , our independent analysis capability for unbiased design assessments, and a growing sovereign capability developed through Australian investment in engineering talent and capability.

Using emerging technologies such as AI, we are producing innovative solutions to provide smarter maintenance and predictive maintenance analysis with the aim of reducing redundancies, maintenance costs to the customer.

About Multiverse Computing

Multiverse Computing is the leader in quantum-inspired AI model compression. The company’s deep expertise in quantum software and AI led to the development of CompactifAI, a revolutionary AI model compressor. CompactifAI compresses LLMs by up to 95% with only 2-3% precision loss. CompactifAI models reduce computing requirements and unleash new use cases for AI across industries.

Multiverse Computing is headquartered in Donostia, Spain, with offices across Europe, the U.S., and Canada. With over 160 patents and 100 customers globally, including Iberdrola, Bosch, and the Bank of Canada, Multiverse Computing has raised c.$250M to date from investors including Bullhound Capital, HP Tech Ventures, SETT, Forgepoint Capital International, CDP Venture Capital, Toshiba, and Santander Climate VC. For more information, visit multiversecomputing.com.

Navantia Australia is proud to be hosting a series of Tech Talks on our stand throughout the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition next week.
These sessions will offer insights into both the cutting-edge autonomous and digital technologies being developed in support of the future of naval operations, and the academia-industry collaborations that are making it happen.
Hear directly from our experts as they explore the innovation behind the development of future sovereign capability.
Make sure to plan your visit and join the conversation at our stand.

Day 1 – Tuesday 4 November

1200

Kodal Autonomous™ Uncrewed Landing Craft

Lachlan Bennet – Navantia Australia

1400

Mobulae: Innovation Through Biomimetic Design

Dr Changhun Han – Navantia Australia

1500

Teleia™ Intelligent Asset Management Platform

Dr William Infante – Navantia Australia

1600

Omatha™ Multi Robot Teaming System

Dr Ravi Ranashinghe – University of Technology Sydney

Day 2 – Wednesday 5 November

1100

Autonomous Vessel Regulatory Framework & 3 Lessons Learnt

Berit Letting – DNV

1345

Immersive Training – Remote Assistance & Simulated Control Systems

Javier Novella – Navantia Australia

Jordan Stevens – Navantia Australia

1530

Compressed AI Models for Edge Use Cases in Defence

Wendy Chin – Multiverse Computing

1545

Addressing Challenges in Underwater Communications Through Optical, Quantum &

AI Technologies

Fernando Aller Sánchez – Multiverse Computing

Day 3 – Thursday 6 November

1000

Partnership for Impact: When Academia Meets Industry

Prof. Pier Marzocca – Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence & Aerospace Centre – RMIT University

1100

The Naval Research Centre: Establishing & Enabling Industry-Academia Research Partnerships

Mal Wise – Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania

1230

Utilising AMCSearch’s Autonomous Maritime Systems Test & Evaluation Centre

Chris White – Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania

1400

Marintec – A New Model for University-Industry Collaboration

Dr Frank Jensen – Marintec, University of Technology Sydney

Key stakeholders from across the Australian defence industry engineering ecosystem to reinforce collaboration, transparency, and innovation in maritime sustainment came together as part of three Designer Support Contractor (DSC) and Technical Partner Network (TPN) Forums hosted by Navantia Australia in August 2025.

The forums emphasised the evolving nature of TPN engagement, shaped by value-for-money principles, Commonwealth needs, and industry capabilities and reinforced Navantia Australia’s commitment to long-term sustainment excellence.

Mr Julio Pinilla, Navantia Australia’s DSC Program Director, opened with insights and reaffirmed the continuing objectives of the TPN. “The TPN was established to foster strategic partnerships between Navantia Australia, the Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth), and industry subcontractors and contribute to the development of the Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry,” said Mr Pinilla.

Held in both Sydney and Melbourne, the Forums were attended by representatives from the Australian Department of Defence. Mr Paul Heiskanen, Executive Director – Major Surface Ships, and Mr Mark Jones, Executive Officer to Director General Major Ships Sustainment, emphasised the DSC’s integration within the Maritime Sustainment Model, highlighting its critical role in supporting the Royal Australian Navy’s operational readiness.

The DSC contract provides the 27 TPN members with clear pathways for engagement and contribution and plan for performance. Through the Annual Work Program, the Five-Year Engineering Work Program (FYEWP) and the Annual Engineering Work Program (AEWP), these cornerstone documents enable Navantia Australia as the DSC to identify structured tasks, forecast skill requirements, allocate resources, and perform risk monitoring activities.

The TPN has been designed to enable flexibility for members to align their capabilities with Navantia Australia’s engineering requirements under various engagement models – direct resource placement within the DSC organisation; engineering work package orders via AEWL; or ad hoc support through S&Q work packages.

Attendees were introduced to the DSC Points of Contact across Supply Chain, Commercial, and Quality teams. These individuals serve as the backbone of TPN engagement, offering guidance, oversight, and escalation support

All forums concluded with a Q&A session and networking session, reinforcing Navantia Australia’s commitment to transparency and collaboration. As the DSC and TPN continue to evolve, Navantia remains focused on delivering innovation where it matters — ensuring Australia’s naval capabilities are supported by a resilient and responsive engineering network.

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia designs, integrates and supports naval maritime platforms and systems for the Royal Australian Navy. We are recognised as a Design Authority by the Commonwealth of Australia for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) and Landing Craft, Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Ships. At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian Supply Chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry. As a leader in shipbuilding and maritime solutions, Navantia Australia is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of naval innovation. We have a commitment to developing advanced systems and technologies that enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and sustainability of the modern naval industry. Navantia Australia is committed to dynamic change and improvement and where possible we seek new equipment and processes to deliver improvements in cost, quality, efficiency and performance.

The Maritime Institute of Technology (Marintec™), Navantia Australia’s Joint Institute with the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Australian Economic Accelerator (AEA) Innovator program to develop a cutting-edge multi-robot mission control system for autonomous systems. This transformative project will span 24 months and is set to revolutionise autonomous teaming in dynamic maritime environments. More than $93 million has been awarded in grants to 39 research commercialisation projects as part of the $1.6 billion AEA program, two of which have application in Australia’s defence sphere.

“The collaboration between UTS, AMC, and Navantia Australia that underpins this grant marks a significant milestone in our journey to advance autonomous technologies,” said Ross Yannatos, Navantia Australia Chief Technology Officer. “It accelerates our mission to pioneer robotic teaming between UxVs, advancing autonomous decision-making and setting a new standard for scalable, efficient mission execution for the future UxV fleets”.

These capabilities represent a major advancement in autonomous maritime technology, paving the way for more digitally integrated and situationally aware autonomous vessels. This innovation not only reduces operational risk but also sets the foundation for future AI-driven technologies, marking a significant step toward the digital integration and situational awareness of that will underpin the next-generation naval warfare.

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia designs, integrates and supports naval maritime platforms and systems for the Royal Australian Navy. We are recognised as a Design Authority by the Commonwealth of Australia for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) and Landing Craft, Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Ships. At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian Supply Chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry. As a leader in shipbuilding and maritime solutions, Navantia Australia is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of naval innovation. We have a commitment to developing advanced systems and technologies that enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and sustainability of the modern naval industry. Navantia Australia is committed to dynamic change and improvement and where possible we seek new equipment and processes to deliver improvements in cost, quality, efficiency and performance.

Navantia Australia has signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) to advance innovation, science, and technology research in support of the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet. This agreement marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Navantia Australia and DSTG, demonstrating the organisations’ mutual focus on enhancing Australia’s naval capabilities.

A signing ceremony was held at Navantia Australia’s Sydney Corporate, Engineering, and Sustainment Office, attended by Dr Ninh Duong, Chief of Air and Maritime Division, representing DSTG. Navantia Australia representatives included Mr Israel Lozano, Managing Director, Mr Ross, Chief Technology Officer Yannatos, Mrs Cindy Slaven Chief Business Development, Marketing & Communications Officer, Dr Nirman Jayarathne, Innovation Lead – Engineering/Autonomous Systems, and Dr Lisa Rodgers, Innovation Project Manager.

This SPA formally establishes a collaborative research program centred around engagements with government, industry, and academic stakeholders in support of scientific research and technological innovations. This research and development will help set the stage for defence industry companies such as Navantia Australia to integrate emerging digital technologies into ship ecosystems for improved decision making and smart sustainment activities.

“This SPA allows Navantia Australia to further contribute to Defence’s innovation agenda by enhancing our capability through both innovative and highly sought after research and development” said Israel Lozano, Navantia Australia Managing Director. “The SPA facilitates long-term bilateral R&D relationships that allow Navantia Australia to develop technologies and solutions for more advanced and efficient naval platforms, closely alongside our partners in academia”.

The signing ceremony was followed by a tour of the Maritime Institute of Technology (Marintec™) facility. Marintec™, Navantia Australia’s joint institute with the University of Technology, Sydney, is a technology-driven digital innovation hub, focussed on research and development in the data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation spaces. Cooperation with academia is a core element of Navantia Australia’s work to develop industry leading, project-driven technologies, built upon this same commitment to innovation that underscores their new SPA with DTSG.

About Defence Science and Technology Group

DSTG is the Australian government’s lead agency responsible for applying science and technology to safeguard Australia and its national interests. DSTG accesses and leverages world-leading science, technology, knowledge and innovation, through collaboration with industry, academia and international agencies. We work closely with these partners in order to provide quality advice and innovative solutions for Defence and national security.

We have the unique Defence domain knowledge and links with the national and international science and technology innovation community to facilitate the translation, application and integration of innovation from external partners to the Australian Defence environment.

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia designs, integrates and supports naval maritime platforms and systems for the Royal Australian Navy. We are recognised as a Design Authority by the Commonwealth of Australia for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) and Landing Craft, Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Ships. At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian Supply Chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry. As a leader in shipbuilding and maritime solutions, Navantia Australia is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of naval innovation. We have a commitment to developing advanced systems and technologies that enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and sustainability of the modern naval industry. Navantia Australia is committed to dynamic change and improvement and where possible we seek new equipment and processes to deliver improvements in cost, quality, efficiency and performance.

Navantia Australia has been awarded the Designer Support Contract to provide comprehensive design and engineering support to all Navantia-designed ships in service with the Royal Australian Navy. This landmark contract marks a significant milestone for Navantia Australia, as it is the company’s first contract held directly with the Commonwealth of Australia (CoA), underscoring its commitment to innovation and excellence in the maritime industry.

The Designer Support Contractor (DSC) for the Hobart Class Destroyers (DDGs), Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs), LHD Landing Craft (LLCs), and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Vessels (AORs) follows a Request for Tender and extensive negotiation process with the Department of Defence.

A signing ceremony was held today at Fleet Headquarters in Sydney attended by Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Chris Smith, AM, CSM, Head Maritime Sustainment, Rear Admiral Steve Tiffen, AM, CSM, Deputy General Major Surface Ships, Commodore Brad Smith, CSC, Navantia Australia’s Managing Director, Israel Lozano, Chief Operations Officer, Jamie Gibbs, and DSC Program Director, Julio Pinilla.

In recognition of the significance of the contract with the Commonwealth and Navantia Australia, Navantia’s Chairman, Mr Ricardo Dominguez Garcia-Baquero, Navantia Spain’s Chief Operations Officer Gonzalo Mateo-Guerrero, and Navantia’s Chairman advisor and Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Javier Romero also attended the ceremony.

“This contract is the result of our experience in lifecycle support and the commitment of Navantia Australia with the Commonwealth of Australia”, said Navantia’s Chairman, Mr Dominguez.

Navantia Australia’s managing director, Mr Israel Lozano said this engagement builds upon the Strategic Agreement Principles document signed between the Royal Australian Navy, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), Navantia, and Navantia Australia, which designated Navantia Australia as the Platform Design Agent for all Navantia-designed vessels.

“The DSC provides end-to-end change management and engineering services to the assets incorporated in the contract, providing Navantia Australia the platform to partner with the CoA and explore greater, innovative solutions for sustainment and asset management. The DSC scope amalgamates Navantia Australia’s extant Support Services contracts for the Royal Australian Navy’s DDGs, LHDs, LLCs, and AORs, as well as the Platform System Designer Deed into the one contractual arrangement.”

Mr Mateo-Guererro, Chief Operations Officer of Navantia Spain said “the DSC will be a vital component to the success of the new Maritime Sustainment Model as Navantia Australia’s deep product knowledge and baseline management will facilitate design integrity throughout sustainment and continuous improvement activities.

This, combined with the capability to collaborate and effectively communicate within the Enterprise environment will contribute to ensure the Navy’s fleet is assured of seaworthiness, availability of assets, and reduced cost through life.”

Appointing Navantia Australia as the single DSC entity for the incorporated assets provides the CoA the opportunity to implement cross-platform efficiencies, including in Supply Chain support and the enabling of sovereign innovation opportunities.

Navantia Australia’s Chief Operations Officer, Mr Jamie Gibbs, said the CoA’s decision to select Navantia Australia was exciting news for the company. “The DSC is the largest single contract Navantia Australia has signed in our 13 years of operation. It provides our workforce and the industry at large with long-term stability and enables us to continue growing our local footprint, keeping more engineering jobs in-country.”

The DSC framework and term provides Navantia Australia the opportunity to continue to invest in building sovereign engineering capabilities by expanding training pathways and fostering collaborations with academia and industry to equip the future maritime and Defence workforce. Navantia Australia is dedicated to enhancing Australia’s sovereign engineering capabilities through the DSC framework and looks forward to continuing its strong partnership with the CoA over the coming years.

 

About Navantia Australia

Navantia Australia designs, integrates and supports naval maritime platforms and systems for the Royal Australian Navy. We are recognised as a Design Authority by the Commonwealth of Australia for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) and Landing Craft, Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) Ships. At Navantia Australia, we are committed to growing our local workforce and links to the Australian Supply Chain to best support the growth of a truly Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry. As a leader in shipbuilding and maritime solutions, Navantia Australia is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of naval innovation. We have a commitment to developing advanced systems and technologies that enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and sustainability of the modern naval industry. Navantia Australia is committed to dynamic change and improvement and where possible we seek new equipment and processes to deliver improvements in cost, quality, efficiency and performance.

Navantia UK is in discussions with Harland & Wolff, a historic British shipbuilding business, to acquire its operations across four sites: Belfast in Northern Ireland, Appledore in the South West of England, and Methil and Arnish in Scotland. The acquisition will strengthen Britain’s industrial capacity whilst preserving more than 1,000 jobs.

The deal will enhance UK shipbuilding, defence and offshore wind industry capabilities, developing both a highly skilled workforce and a robust British supply chain. This will strengthen the country’s sovereign industrial capacity.

Under the proposed agreement, which remains subject to completion and regulatory approvals, Navantia UK will manage all four facilities, bringing its extensive expertise in shipbuilding, fabrication, complex programme management and fostering knowledge transfer.

As prime contractor for the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme, Navantia UK leads the construction of three ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to support the Royal Navy’s UK Carrier Strike Group. These vessels will be built across facilities in Belfast, Appledore and Puerto Real (Cádiz, Spain).

The integration of Harland & Wolff’s facilities will ensure seamless delivery of the FSS ships by minimising programme risks and streamlining construction. The deal is expected to be completed in January 2025.

Navantia UK commends the UK government’s commitment to the FSS programme and welcomes the opportunity to build upon Harland & Wolff’s proud heritage. The company will work diligently to deliver this essential capability for the Royal Navy whilst strengthening Britain’s defence and industrial base for the long term.

Bungendore Campdraft is proud to announce that its 2025 Easter event will feature Australia’s inaugural veteran exhibition campdraft, hosted in partnership with Remount. This exciting new event will see participation from members of the Remount team as well as veterans and first responders who have attended Remount programs, showcasing their horsemanship skills in a meaningful and competitive setting.

Steve Hart, President of Bungendore Campdraft, shared his enthusiasm for this historic event: “We are incredibly proud to be hosting this landmark exhibition. The work Remount does in supporting our veterans and first responders through horsemanship is truly inspirational, and we’re honoured to provide a platform for these men and women to showcase their skills and resilience. It’s a powerful reminder of the service and sacrifice they’ve made for our community and our nation, and we’re privileged to be part of it.”

Remount, which has been operating since 2016, provides therapeutic horsemanship programs for veterans and first responders. Since its inception, Remount has helped over 500 individuals by fostering a connection between people and horses, encouraging healing, skill-building, and camaraderie in a supportive environment.

Bob Morrison, Chair of the Remount Board, expressed his gratitude for the long-standing support of Bungendore Campdraft: “the Bungendore committee through Steve Hart and others have been a fantastic supporter of Remount over the years, and we are excited to take this next step together. For years, our ambition has been to extend the horsemanship skills of our veterans and first responders into competition, and this event is a huge leap forward in that journey. We’re thrilled to see this dream come to life on such a prestigious stage.”

The veteran exhibition campdraft will be a celebration of skill, teamwork, and perseverance, honouring the veterans and first responders who have served and sacrificed for our country. It marks an important milestone in recognising the therapeutic power of horsemanship and the strength of our veteran and first responder communities.

For more information on the event or Remount’s programs, please visit:

• https://www.facebook.com/bungendorecampdraft
• https://www.facebook.com/remount.org.au

Contact

Ben Maguire
Remount
0439 423 891
ben@remount.org.au

Steve Hart
Bungendore Campdraft
0405 185 817
stevenhart3@bigpond.com