May 16, 2023
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A decade-old Norwegian vessel that was purchased by Australia for about $110 million will be transformed into a defense force vessel to support future undersea military missions.
Secret approval for the purchase of a commercial vessel to be transformed into a unique Undersea Support Vessel was put forward by the Morrison government in March 2022; however, the sale was finally executed late last year, long after the election.
On 12 December, a Norwegian firm named Solstad Offshore declared the sale of the 2013-developed Construction Support Vessel (CSV) named the Normand Jarl to its buyer, who was not part of the offshore industry for about $60 million.
On the next day, Defence rewarded Teekay Shipping Australia with a contract worth about $100,000 for due diligence examinations of an unspecified ship that has since been re-titled as “Guidance”.
The purchase came through after Defence bought a second-hand Norwegian offshore vessel dubbed the Horizon Star in 2022 and then renamed it the Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Reliant for exclusive Pacific Ocean activities.
The Albanese Government is now determined to enhance the capabilities the Australian Defence Force needs for the circumstances they face, Pat Conroy, the Defence Industry Minister, said.
Reference: ABC.net, The EurAsian Times
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