DMS Maritime, formerly Defence Maritime Services, is a company providing port services to the
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...
and
Marine Unit. It is a subsidiary of
Serco
Serco Group plc is a British multinational corporation, multinational military, defence, Healthcare, health, Space industry, space, private prison, justice, Human migration, migration, customer service, customer services, and transport company ...
.
History

Defence Maritime Services was founded in 1997 as a 50:50
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
between
P&O Maritime Services and
Serco
Serco Group plc is a British multinational corporation, multinational military, defence, Healthcare, health, Space industry, space, private prison, justice, Human migration, migration, customer service, customer services, and transport company ...
to fulfill a contract to organise tug boats and ferries and supply and maintain small boats for the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
(RAN). In 2012, Serco bought out P&O's shareholding.
Headquartered in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, it has operations in
Cairns
Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people.
The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...
,
Darwin,
Dampier,
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
,
Western Port
Western Port, ( Boonwurrung: ''Warn Marin'') commonly but unofficially known as Western Port Bay, is a large tidal bay in southern Victoria, Australia, opening into Bass Strait. It is the second largest bay in the state. Geographically, it ...
,
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay () is a oceanic bay and village in the Jervis Bay Territory and on the South Coast (New South Wales), South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
A area of land around the southern headland of the bay, known as the Jervis Bay Terri ...
and Sydney. It currently operates eight oceangoing vessels and over 100 harbour craft and has around 350 staff. The services DMS is contracted to provide to the RAN include operating
tug boats and
lighters
A lighter is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as cigarettes, butane gas, fireworks, candles, or campfires. A lighter typica ...
at RAN bases, training members of the RAN, and maintaining RAN warships.
Vessels operated
Auxiliaries
General-purpose tenders
*''
Seahorse Spirit''
*''
Seahorse Standard''
Both Vessels have been Retired and removed from DMS Service.
Submarine rescue and escape ships
Submarine search and rescue capability boosted
'' Navy Daily'' 16 July 2015
*
*
Yard and service craft
60-ton flat-top lighters
*FTL 60101
*FTL 60102
*FTL 60103
*FTL 60104
*FTL 60105
*FTL 60107
*FTL 60108
*FTL 60109
*FTL 60110
*FTL 60111
*FTL 60112
*FTL 60113
*FTL 60114
*FTL 60115
*FTL 60116
*FTL 60117
*FTL 60118
*FTL 60119
*FTL 60120
*FTL 60121
Southerly 65 class diving tenders[
*2001 ''Dugong''
*2003 ''Seal''
*2004 ''Shark''
Miscellaneous concrete ammunition lighters][
*CAL 209
*CAL 5012
*CAL 10011
*CAL 10012
*CAL 10013
*CAL 10014
''Wattle'' class crane stores lighters][
]
*CSL 01 ''Wattle''
*CSL 02 ''Boronia''
*CSL 03 ''Telopea''
Steber 43 naval general purpose workboats
*NGPWB 01 ''Patonga''
*NGPWB 02
*NGPWB 03
*NGPWB 04 ''Sea Dragon''
*NGPWB 05
*NGPWB 06
*NGPWB 07
*NGPWB 08
*NGPWB 09 ''Sea Witch''
*NGPWB 10
Noosacat 930 harbour personnel boats[
*0901
*0902
*0903
*0904
Riviera class VIP launch][
* 38103 ''Admiral Hudson''
Admiral's barge][
*AB 1201 ''Green Parrot''
Shark Cat 800 harbour personnel boats][
*0801
*0802
*0803
*0805
Naval work boats][
*NWB 1230
*NWB 1260
*NWB 1281 ''Otter''
*NWB 1282 ''Walrus''
*NWB 1285 ''Grampus''
*NWB 1286 ''Dolphin''
*NWB 1287
*NWB 1288
*NWB 1289
*NWB 1290
*NWB 1291
*NWB 1292 ''Turtle''
Halvorsen-design workboat]
*AWB 4011
40-foot Mk 1 and 1963-design workboats[
*AWB 404
*AWB 421
*AWB 423
*AWB 424
*AWB 436
*AWB 440
*AWB 1658
*AWB 4006
*AWB 4007
AWB Mod. II workboat][
*4010
AWB short and long group cabin workboats][
*''Amethyst''
*4002
7.2 metre ]rigid-hulled inflatable boat
A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull (watercraft), hull bottom joined to side-forming a ...
s[
*27 RHIBS, numbered 0701 through 0727
Radio controlled surface targets][
*RCST 06
*RCST 07
*RCST 08
*RCST 09
*RCST 10
*RCST 11
''Wallaby''-class water and fuel lighters][
]
*''Wallaby''
*''Wombat''
*''Warrigal''
*''Wyulda''
All vessels have been retired and Replaced by larger, newer and safer designed craft post 2017.
Torpedo recovery craft
* 446 ''Tuna''
* 447 ''Trevally''
* 448 ''Tailor''
Withdrawn and no longer operated. Vessels have been sold to private owners.
Compact tug
*''Tancred'' - Damen ASD Tug 2310
Tug/workboat
*''Wattle'' - Damen Stan Tug 1606
Coastal tugs[
*2601 ''Tammar''
*''Seahorse Quenda''
*''Seahorse Chuditch''
*''Elwing'' - Damen Standard built ASD 2411
*''Waree'' - Damen Standard built ASD 2411
Medium harbour tug][
*1801 ''Quokka''
]
*''Bronzewing''
*''Currawong''
*''Mollymawk''
Training craft
Aviation training ship
*'' MV Sycamore'' (owned by DMS, crewed by Teekay)
Sail training craft[
*850576 ''Salthorse''
Swarbrick III class small training yachts][
*STY 3807 ''Alexander of Cresswell''
*STY 3808 ''Friendship of Leeuwin''
*STY 3809 ''Lady Peryhyn of Nirimba''
*STY 3810 ''Charlotte of Cerberus''
*STY 3811 ''Scarborough of Cerberus''
Tasar sail dinghies][
*63 vessels, numbered between 1925 and 2546
ASI 315 class navigation and seamanship training craft][
*'' Seahorse Mercator''
]
References
External links
{{P&O
Shipping companies of Australia
Companies based in Sydney
Defence companies of Australia
P&O
Serco
Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies
Australian companies established in 1997
Transport companies established in 1997
Former joint ventures