RALion wins major international design contract for new Australian research vessel
February 18, 2011
RALion, a Joint Venture between Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C., Alion Science and Technology Corporation of McLean, Virginia, and Alion Science and Technology (Canada) Corporation of Kanata, Ontario, has just been awarded a contract to design a new Research Vessel for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an agency of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The contract has been awarded by Sembawang Shipyard Pte. Ltd. of Singapore who will build the vessel under contract to Teekay Holding Australia Pty. Ltd. (as Project Managers).
The RALion Joint Venture design team is extremely pleased to be working on this major contract in collaboration with their distinguished clients at Teekay and Sembawang..
The Future Research Vessel for CSIRO
This new state of the art, ice-strengthened research vessel will be 89 metres in length, and when completed will replace the existing R/V Southern Surveyor. The new vessel will be one of the largest and most capable oceanographic research vessels in the world, capable of continuous and extended operations throughout the Great Southern Ocean, and operating in the full range of operating environments encountered. It will be based in Hobart, Tasmania and will operate from the tropical north to the Antarctic ice-edge and across the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. It will operate the vessel on behalf of the Australian government for use by the Australian marine research community.
Upon completion and delivery in the second quarter of 2013, the vessel will provide a safe and advanced diverse marine science capability to Australia.
More about the Joint Venture Partners
Robert Allan Ltd. (www.ral.ca) and the Alion companies (www.alionscience.com) agreed in 2009 to develop a collaborative relationship that highlighted the strengths of both companies. Capitalizing on the synergy of their collective talents, they are positioned to design and engineering support for major maritime projects throughout the global market. This new contract is the second major ship design contract awarded to the joint venture in the last 4 months. RALion is currently engaged in the design of a new class of Offshore Fisheries Research Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Alion Science and Technology is an employee-owned technology solutions company delivering scientific, research and development and technical expertise as well as operational support to customers around the globe, including the U.S. Department of Defense, other U.S. federal agencies, governments worldwide and commercial customers. Based in McLean, Virginia, Alion employee-owners are located at major offices, customer sites and laboratories worldwide. Alion’s wholly owned subsidiary, Alion Canada, supports Canada’s ship programs, with offices located in Kanata, Ontario.
Robert Allan Ltd. is Canada’s senior and most experienced consulting Naval Architecture firm, operating continuously in Vancouver, BC since 1930 and employee-owned since 2008. Historically, Robert Allan Ltd. has worked extensively with various departments of the Canadian Government for new ship design and refit work. Since 1990, the company has emerged as a world leader in the development of advanced ship-handling and offshore escort tugs, offshore supply and anchor handling vessels, and as the premiere designer of high-performance fireboats. Well over 100 vessels designed by Robert Allan Ltd. have been delivered in the last 36 months alone, to a diverse array of international owners. There are presently more than 80 Robert Allan Ltd. designed vessels under construction in shipyards around the world.
For more information on the subject vessel or on the capabilities of the design firms involved, please contact:
Alion Science and Technology
Peter Jacobs
pjacobs@alionscience.com
703-269-3473
Robert Allan Ltd.
Mike Fitzpatrick, VP
mfitzpatrick@ral.ca
604-736-9466
This press release contains information about Alion management’s view of future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbour provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.