Latest news with #Australian-built
Hans India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Maldives to receive Guardian-class patrol boat from Australia
Australia will gift an Australian-built Guardian-class Patrol Boat to Maldives, country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles and Maldives Minister of Defence, Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, announced in Male on Monday. In addition to the new vessel, Australia will also gift a multi-beam echo sounder to Maldives. The hydrographic equipment will support Maldives' capability to map its ocean floor, helping to ensure maritime safety and unlock economic development, said the Australian Defence Ministry. The Guardian-class Patrol Boat is under construction and due for completion in 2026. "This announcement is a key milestone in our bilateral relationship and a significant step towards enhancing Maldives' capability to protect its sovereign waters and contribute to maritime security in the Indian Ocean. The Guardian-class Patrol Boat will provide Maldives a more persistent presence in its vast exclusive economic zone to deter, detect and disrupt illegal maritime activities," read a statement issued by the Australian Defence Ministry. Working closely with Maldives, Australia will develop a maintenance and sustainment package to support the vessel. This initiative, Australia said, upholds its shared commitment to security, stability, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). "Australia is proud to partner with Maldives to support its maritime security capability. In line with our National Defence Strategy, Australia is working with partners across the Northeast Indian Ocean to maintain regional security and stability. Australia is pleased to gift a Guardian-class Patrol Boat to Maldives and will continue to seek opportunities to deepen our long-standing defence partnership. As Indian Ocean countries, Australia and Maldives share a vision of our region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous," said Marles. After attending the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore from May 30-June 1, Marles is travelling to South and Southeast Asia from June 2-5 for high-level meetings. He will meet leaders and counterparts in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia to deepen diplomatic and defence partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. "The visit to India coincides with the fifth anniversary of Australia and India's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which underpins our relationship and shared vision for the Indian Ocean," the Australian Defence Ministry stated.
Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
First ever Australian-built rocket's launch delayed as issue discovered hours before scheduled take-off
The launch of the first ever Australian-built rocket hoping to reach orbit has been delayed after an issue was discovered just hours before its scheduled take-off. Gilmour Space Technologies is hoping to make history when its Eris rocket launches for the first time from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in north Queensland, and a launch window of between 7.30am - 5.30pm on Thursday had been set. But the Gold Coast-based rocket company provided an update about 6.30am on Thursday morning, sharing that an issue has been identified in the ground support system during overnight checks. 'We're now in an extended hold while we work through it,' a post on the Gilmour Space Technologies' Facebook page said. The company is now hoping to launch on Friday morning. Bowen area residents have been asked to observe all hazard areas for land, sea and air that are in place on launch days. Gilmour Space Technologies announced in February that a launch window starting no earlier than March 15 had been set for Eris' maiden flight, which hoped to make history as the first Australian-designed and built rocket to reach orbit. The news came after the company was given the green light by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia. Co-founder and chief executive Adam Gilmour highlighted that delays are a 'normal part of rocket launches' that can last from hours to days or even weeks, often caused by technical issues or weather conditions. "Safety is always the top priority. We'll only launch when we're ready, and when conditions are appropriate," Mr Gilmour said in the February announcement. He pointed out 'the first launch is always the hardest' as getting a rocket to reach orbit is a 'highly complex engineering challenge'. "It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time,' Mr Gilmour said. 'Whether we make it off the pad, reach max Q, or get all the way to space, what's important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches." Mr Gilmoir said there are only six countries in the world regularly launching rockets into space using their own technology, and 'Australia could soon be one of them'.
