DCN AUGUST Edition 2019

INDUSTRY OPINION
RAN long-term staff shortage
leaves Australia vulnerable
Captain Harry Mansson makes the case for using civilian mariners
to overcome staff shortages in the Navy
THE FRIGATE HMAS PERTH
underwent a substantial and costly
capability upgrade and refurbishment in
2017, but the frigate has been in dry-dock
since then due to a lack of RAN manpower.
Current predictions are that the ship will
continue to idle until 2021, giving it a total
off-period of four years.
It raises the question of what would
happen to any chief executive of a nongovernment
listed or private company
if they allowed substantial capital
investments for upgrading any project
without ensuring the manning and logistics
would be in place for its full utilisation.
The Australian Strategy Policy Institute
said the prolonged dry-docking was a
particular current problem since it comes
at a time when the Navy is expected to
expand its regional activities in the Pacific
and Indian Oceans and in southeast
Asia. The Australian Defence Association
executive director Neil James said the
federal government dictates the manning
levels to be funded.
Additional recruitment and training
may provide long term solutions, but in
the short term the Australian Defence
Force should be considering expanding
the current practice of using Australian
merchant seafarers in a range of auxiliary
roles, including supply vessels, training
ships and tankers. I have been reliably
informed that discussions between
the RAN and the Australian seafarers
associations (seamen, officers and
engineers) have long ago settled on a
mutually acceptable protocol setting down
employment conditions and other matters.
Australian seafarers already have a
proven track record of operating support
vessels for the ADF. Australian merchant
seamen work on a range of support vessels
providing government services from AMSA
emergency response vessels and those used
for border protection. But this model has
plenty of room for substantial expansion,
allowing uniformed personnel to fill
crew shortages that are undermining the
operational capabilities of the ADF.
The ADF could then immediately free
up such Navy personnel to crew HMAS
Perth (and any others) from auxiliary and
support vessels with those roles being
filled by highly skilled and experienced
Australian seafarers. While the decline
of the Australian merchant fleet has seen
a huge loss of skills and experience from
the Australian coastline, it does provide
a unique opportunity for the RAN to put
many more of those seafarers to work.
I believe there is mutual enthusiasm
for this strategy from both the RAN and
the seafarers. It is to be hoped that there
could be a bipartisan approach to this
situation, when the concept is raised when
the Parliament resumes. The issue involves
In the short term the Australian Defence Force
should be considering expanding the current
practice of using Australian merchant seafarers
in a range of auxiliary roles.
national security, the waste of idle RAN
resources and the social and economic
benefits in using our civilian capacities.
The sequence of events could be:
• Replace as many uniformed regular
RAN staff from the type of vessels where
merchant navy personnel can do the job.
• Place the freed-up Navy staff on board
the HMAS Perth, presumably mixed up
with others from similar vessels, who
can contribute to rapid training.
Captain Harry Mansson, former shipping
executive, sea captain and sailor
• Equip the HMAS Perth for the full
range of frigate capabilities, focusing
on underwater attacks of every kind.
From my own personal military navy
experience I am aware of the practice
of deploying intense training when a
warship is in transit to its designated
area of activity.
• Despatch the HMAS Perth to assist
with the protection of Australian fuel
exports from the Gulf and other loading
areas. Add additional RAN units as
may be required to give maximum such
protection in exposed regions.
It would have the benefit for Australian
taxpayers seeing an expensively upgraded
and badly needed RAN unit being pulled out
from its expected four-year idle exhibition
and do what the RAN is supposed to do –
protect Australian interests.
Surely the recent attacks on six tankers
in the Persian Gulf should produce enough
encouragement for our government to
become active and use the military assets
to which it has been entrusted, to the
fullest possible extent in the interest of
our country.
Image supplied
64 August 2019
thedcn.com.au