Australia’s dedicated submarine sustainment company, ASC, has teamed with engine and power system distributor, Penske Power Systems, to prepare the next generation of submarine diesel engineers.

ASC has placed graduate mechanical engineer, Dillan Wilson, with Penske Power Systems’ Melbourne operation for three months, to become an expert at operating and maintaining the MTU Series 4000 engines distributed by Penske Power Systems.

“Dillan is part of ASC’s high performance engineering workforce and we are delighted to be able to offer him this exciting opportunity. ASC is in demand with international partners across several submarine programs and offers its engineers the most varied, challenging and stimulating engineering work in submarines in Australia,” said ASC Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Whiley.

ASC builds and maintains Australia’s operational submarine fleet, the Collins Class, as part of the Australian Submarine Enterprise. ASC is expected to carry out a number of life-extension upgrades to Collins boats in coming years, incorporating potentially new diesel generator sets.

Mr Whiley said the placement with Penske Power Systems was part of ASC’s long term planning for the Collins Class.

“ASC and our partners plan years in advance so that the Collins Class remains available to the Royal Australian Navy at or above international benchmarks,” said Mr Whiley.

Hamish Christie-Johnston, managing director of Penske Power Systems, said: “Penske Power Systems is pleased to be able to partner with ASC to provide Dillan with comprehensive experience both with the MTU Series 4000 product and in working alongside senior staff in our national engineering team.”

“Given Dillan’s passion for submarines, he will surely learn a tremendous amount, not only about these sophisticated power systems but about all facets of the submarine across his two year placement in ASC’s graduate program.”

Dillan received a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of Adelaide and entered ASC’s graduate program last year.

“It’s exciting to be at Penske Power Systems in Melbourne and to work with their experts. It will extend my knowledge and I will then come back to ASC better prepared for the future,” Mr Wilson said.

Dillan’s work with Penske Power Systems forms part of the ASC Graduate Engineer program; a two year rotating program of experience throughout ASC’s submarine platform sustainment, maintenance and upgrade responsibilities, in South Australia and Western Australia.

Recognising the importance of engineering to the core work of the company, ASC sponsors its graduates to be members of Engineers Australia and, with adequate experience, supports their applications for charted engineer status.

Each year 12 graduate engineers are selected in Western Australia and South Australia, based on a competitive recruitment process. Those graduates complete placements over two years, gaining experience in every aspects of ASC’s submarine operations.