Held at the Parliament of Australia on 29th November, this event brought together various stakeholders from Australia’s defence industry, national security experts, and senior defence leaders to highlight the critical role of the Australian defence industry in contributing to the nation’s sovereignty, security, and safety.

During the event, PFG took the opportunity to connect with familiar faces and showcase The Sentinel. The event highlighted the integral role of the Australian defence industry in Australia’s economy through sovereign supply chains, modern manufacturing practices, research and innovation, skills development, and regional employment.

As a proud sponsor of the event, PFG demonstrated its commitment to supporting the Australian defence industry and its contribution to national security and the economy. The Sentinel Family of Sea boats manufactured in Tasmania showcased PFG’s expertise in providing advanced technology solutions for the defence sector.

The post SHOWCASING PFG’s SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY appeared first on PFG.

Key speakers at the Summit explored, what  industry seeks from its education providers and examine the impediments that may hinder the development of a more skilled and capable workforce both within the Defence and Private sectors. This will be essential in ensuring that the Defence industry in Australia remains competitive and sustainable in the long-term.

The conference focused on identifying best-case scenarios for the re-skilling and upskilling of the current labour force, with a particular emphasis on continuous improvement programs that can deliver an agile, flexible and efficient workforce. These programs will play a critical role in enabling the Defence industry in Australia to adapt and respond to evolving challenges and opportunities.

During the Summit, thirty delegates visited PFG, to view the latest addition to their Family of Sea Boats, The Sentinel 1100. This provided an opportunity for attendees to see first hand the innovative technology and capabilities that are driving the future of the Defence industry in Australia. The Sentinel 1100 is a cutting-edge Sea Boat , and the demonstration of its capabilities and how it can that contribute to Australia’s future Defence capability was a valuable addition to the Summit.

The post ADM SKILLING SUMMIT DELEGATES VISIT PFG appeared first on PFG.

The Sentinel 1100 has been designed to demonstrate PFG’s proven boat building capabilities and its application to the defence sector.

PFG Chief Executive Officer, Robert Inches, said the Sentinel 1100 is an adaptable platform designed to deliver advantage in insertion, extraction, and interdiction operations, enhancing mission capability for defence and security organisations.

“HDPE is the next generation boat-building material delivering a vessel of unparalleled safety, survivability and performance in interdiction boarding, pursuit, tactical assault, and first response applications,” he said.

“Cutting edge Hamilton jet propulsion and dynamic positioning systems work in tandem to provide precision manoeuvrability at low speed, resulting in propeller-free propulsion for personnel safety.

“The Sentinel range is the world’s only tactical watercraft manufactured from HDPE, autonomous ready, offering superior durability and reliability in the face of sustained force, optimised for airdrops and hard beaching and ultimately delivers enhanced capability to tactical missions.”

HDPE’s absorption properties dampen noise, vibration and personnel fatigue, while its high stability and responsive handling reduce rollover risk.

Mr Inches said the construction of this vessel was an important step in demonstrating PFG’s ability to deliver next generation world class tactical watercraft.

“We provide a sovereign capability with Australian design, manufacture, and sustainment. In partnership with One2three naval architects, PFG has developed and delivered an adaptable platform deployable to a range of mission sets, offering unmatched performance, safety, and stability,” he said.

“The construction of this vessel was made possible with the support of the Tasmanian Government and its focus on assisting Tasmanian businesses like ours to secure future opportunities across domestic and international military and security domains.

“We were grateful to have Tasmanian Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Madeleine Ogilvie, present at the expo to officially unveil the vessel today.”

The Sentinel 1100 vessel will be available for demonstration and sale on return to Tasmania in the coming weeks.

The post FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY, PFG UNVEIL NEXT GENERATION DEFENCE VESSEL AT INDO PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL MARITIME EXPO appeared first on PFG.

Eleven Australian innovators from both the defence and civil sectors have been shortlisted for the prestigious Innovation Awards, worth $30,000, with three other Tasmanian companies as finalists.

The entry centred around High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a ‘next generation’ boat building material, PFG’s use of which is understood to be a world-first for defence. HDPE has been proven to deliver advantages in industrial and workboat outcomes for over 30 years, and while we pioneered this in the southern hemisphere, our main goal has been to incorporate this material into a high-performing naval craft. In order to achieve this, we have been required to develop a deep working knowledge of the material, highly innovative methods of construction, and a strong partnership with design teams and end-users.

This introduction and adoption of HDPE as a boat building material for tactical watercraft for the application in the defence industry, is the reason we have been short-listed for the Indo Pacific 2022 National and SME Innovation Awards.

The winners will be announced at a special online event on 26 April and receive their Awards during the Indo Pacific 2022 International Maritime Exposition at Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour.

PFG would like to congratulate all other short-listed organisations and look forward to updating you on the outcome after the winners are announced.

The post PFG FINALIST FOR THE INNOVATION AWARDS AT INDO PACIFIC appeared first on PFG.

Chaired by former Australian Consul General and Austrade Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Chris Oldfield, the Committee includes Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Steve Gilmore AM CSC, Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Allan du Toit AM, former Tasmanian Police Inspector Lee Renshaw and PFG CEO Robert Inches.

CMDR (Rtd.) Parker will bring invaluable insight to the Committee to ensure PFG continues to create a premium product with Defence needs in front of mind.

CMDR (Rtd.) Parker is a highly experienced and respected Royal Australian Navy Officer and reconnaissance diver. He has served our country with distinction,” explains the Chair of PFG, Chris Oldfield. “CMDR (Rtd.) Parker will bring specific operational knowledge and experience that will be highly valuable in the development of The Sentinel. This will help ensure that we are designing and building vessels that are fit for purpose and offer a high level of performance, durability and crew protection.”

CMDR (Rtd.) Parker has three decades of Defence experience. He joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1980 and specialised as a Mine Warfare Clearance Diving Officer in 1985, later he served as the Executive Officer of Clearance Diving Team (CDT). He was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as a member of Australian CDT3 for Operation Desert Storm. Afterwards he served in missions in both Iraq and East Timor. CMDR (Rtd.) Parker was posted to a secondment for the UN’s Integrated Training Service (ITS) in New York where he spent time in various UN missions in countries such as Burundi, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan.

I knew of PFG and its Sentinel range of watercraft through my long-time friend and colleague Admiral Gilmore,” CMDR (Rtd.) Parker said. ‘’I was very excited to be a part of PFG’s Advisory Committee for Defence Capability when I was offered the opportunity. I could see that The Sentinel’s highly durable HDPE construction, and innovative design features, would be great capability enhancers for the ADF.”

 

The PFG-manufactured Sentinel is used for patrols, crew transfer, rescue, first response and dive boat operations by Defence, public security, and emergency service organisations across Australia. The Sentinel is manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and delivers an inherently smooth ride at full speed due to the low centre of gravity and features shock and vibration absorbing properties, proven design and build methods. The smoother ride reduces fatigue and other safety risks to the vessel’s operators. It is these virtues that The Sentinel brings a new generation of evolved design, fast military vessels, as well as industry leading, low whole-of-life costs.

The post PFG’s DEFENCE CAMPAIGN BOLSTERED WITH THE ADDITION OF A NEW CAPABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER appeared first on PFG.