Using Cairncross as the model, ASSIST Maritime is designing Australian Standardised Shipyard Infrastructure.
Strategy
Cairncross as the model for a national maritime sustainment infrastructure strategy
Australia’s future maritime capability depends not only on advanced vessels, but on the infrastructure required to sustain them over their operational life.
Government has recognised the need to modernise this infrastructure. Meeting that need is not just about upgrading individual shipyards, but about taking a more coordinated approach aligned with Defence capability, industry priorities and broader national objectives, including those set out in the National Defence Strategy.
For decades, sustainment systems have not kept pace with platform innovation. Differences in shipyard design, infrastructure systems and delivery methods have contributed to higher costs and reduced fleet availability.
The Australian Standardised Shipyard Infrastructure Strategy (ASSIST) responds to this by bringing sustainment considerations earlier into planning and platform design. It promotes greater consistency across infrastructure systems, engineering and supply chains, and explores how a more repeatable approach could be delivered with lower cost and risk.
Strategic Objectives
ASSIST advances a more consistent, industry-backed approach to strengthening maritime sustainment infrastructure and supporting national capability aligned with policy priorities.
Four Strategic pillars
ASSIST Maritime brings together research, industry expertise and practical engineering experience to shape a more consistent, timely and cost-effective approach to maritime sustainment infrastructure. Four ASSIST pillars guide the design, delivery and operation of future sustainment shipyard systems.
Identify, align and apply relevant global standards to the design and operation of maritime sustainment infrastructure, supporting consistent accreditation and assurance pathways.
This approach improves predictability, safety and interoperability, while reducing cost and delivery risk across shipyard systems.
Define sustainment requirements and key vessel characteristics early in platform design to inform infrastructure planning.
This ensures shipyard systems align with real fleet needs, improving availability and supporting long-term capability planning.
Apply common infrastructure designs, operating methods and delivery models across shipyard locations, where it improves performance and efficiency.
Reducing unnecessary variation simplifies training and operations, lowers lifecycle costs, reduces delivery and operational risk, and supports greater fleet availability.
Develop supply chains across research, materials, manufacturing and workforce capability to support shipyard infrastructure systems, including practical training aligned to infrastructure delivery.
This improves delivery certainty, reduces dependency on external inputs and supports reliable, cost-effective infrastructure development while strengthening sovereign industrial capability.
Four Strategic Principles
Supporting Fleet Availability
ASSIST aligns with the 2024 National Defence Strategy and Defence Industry Development Strategy, addressing how maritime sustainment infrastructure can be designed, delivered and operated to improve fleet availability, reduce downtime and support sustained operations.
Infrastructure That Delivers
Improving efficiency, reducing costs and strengthening the availability of Australia’s maritime fleet.