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2 NAVY ENGINEERING BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2003
REAR ADMIRAL R.C. MOFFITT
RAN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVY
Foreword
I am very pleased to have this opportunity to welcome readers to the
fifth edition of the Navy Engineering Bulletin.
In a year that has evolved as
another one of the most
operationally demanding for the
Navy in recent times, nowhere
have these demands been more
keenly felt than in the Engineering
disciplines. The criticality of
Engineering as a key element of
capability has been clearly
demonstrated as the RAN rose to
the challenges presented by
Operations Slipper, Bastille and
Falconer, while concurrently
fulfilling vital roles in home and
regional waters. It is significant
that, while being pushed to
extremes of performance, our
ships and aircraft participating in
these escalated operations were
able to meet all operational
requirements unimpeded by
major defects or extended downtime
due to breakdown. This is
testament to the tenacity and
professionalism of the
Engineering personnel
maintaining and supporting them,
who were often called upon to
provide innovative solutions under
difficult circumstances; ensuring
their units remained at the
optimum level of availability,
ready to overcome the challenges
and threats presented by modern
warfare.
In addition to the demands
invoked by Navy’s current high
operational profile, Navy
Engineering is also undergoing an
important period of change and
review. The Navy Technical
Regulatory System, currently in
initial stages of implementation,
will improve our certification
processes, formalise and
strengthen our risk management
systems and ensure not only that
our ships, submarines and
aircraft are materially fit for
service; but also that our people
are properly trained, competent
and authorised to operate and
maintain them. Interfacing with,
and complementing the NTRS,
are a number of personnel
initiatives aimed at accrediting
our people more effectively. One
of these is the Navy’s agreement
with the Institution of Engineers,
Australia, which provides a
structured, internationally
recognised professional
development and accreditation
program for our Engineering
Officers and Sailors. Another is
the introduction of new,
competency based Marine
Technical Operator qualifications,
aligning Engineering operating
practices and qualifications with
the need to provide ‘competent,
authorised individuals, whose
work is certified as correct’; a
fundamental principle of the
NTRS.
The demands on our engineering
people, therefore, have been very
high and will remain so for the
foreseeable future. The Navy
maintains an intense operational
commitment across many varied
theatres concurrent with an
expansive program of continuous
review and improvement. It is this
program of improvement which
has been the genesis of many of
the initiatives to be introduced to
Navy Engineering in the near
future, initiatives aimed both at
making Navy Engineering more
effective and improving the
retention rates of our Engineers
and Technicians. I congratulate
the Navy Engineering community
for the dedication and
commitment displayed by all it’s
members in meeting past
challenges, and urge you all to
maintain this positive attitude
when faced with the challenges to
come. In particular, I encourage
all in the Navy Engineering
community to embrace the
forthcoming changes and work
together to realise the full
benefits that are their intent.
I hope you enjoy this edition of
the Navy Engineering Bulletin. As
a key element of capability, it is
important that the Engineering
Branch has a forum to
disseminate information,
exchange ideas and promote
discussion on engineering related
topics. The Navy Engineering
Bulletin fulfils this role admirably,
therefore I commend it to you
and encourage all in the Navy
Engineering community to
support and contribute to this
excellent publication.
R.C. MOFFITT
Rear Admiral, RAN
Deputy Chief of Navy