Proxenus General Manager becomes Commonwealth Appointed Principal Engineer

The Proxenus General Manager, Mr. Tim Efthymiou, achieves first contracted Principal Engineer under the Landworthiness Technical Regulatory Framework for the Army’s new combat training facility – DASH.

Summary

  • Principal Engineers (PE) are crucial for the technical management of Defence Capabilities.
  • Increasing complexity in Defence Capabilities has led to an increasing diversity of subject matter experts (SME) to encompass the relevant technologies.
  • Technical Regulatory Frameworks (TRF) are required for governance of PEs, and in-turn, for the way they conduct technical management and acceptability.
  • Traditionally only Commonwealth employees could be Principal Engineers for Commonwealth assets.  Now Proxenus leads the technical competence in Complex Technology Ranges.

What is a DASH?

  • The DASH is the Deployable Austere Shoot House.  It is a live-fire complex technology range designed to enable warfighters to practice urban operations using live-lethal ammunition, in safety.
  • As a system, it has a similar risk profile to many high risk capabilities – i.e. catastrophic consequences with low probabilities.  Aircraft operations are similar, but only due to the implementation of a TRF are the probabilities of catastrophic consequences reduced.

What is a TRF?

  • A TRF is a framework that enables the establishment of a system of Organisation, People, Processes and Data (OPPD) to be utilised to conduct authorised technical works and management.
  • The TRF provides a basis for which technical authority can be derived to conduct technical work.

What does a TRF do?

  • TRFs are relatively new in the technical world.  In the1990s, the Royal Australian Air Force established one of the first TRFs for technical worthiness.  These Technical Aviation Regulations (TAREG) were considered world leading – Bardoe, Military Aviation Safety in Australia: a brief history, Focus on DASR, DASA 2017.
  • TRFs provide a workable means of implementing a safety culture.  In the Contemporary Issues in Air & Space Power Journal, McGurk and Bardell conducted an examination on the influence of safety regulations in high-risk industries such as military aviation.  In their article, The Influence of Work Health Safety on Australia’s Military Aviation Regulatory Framework, ADF aviation safety performance is depicted as having a marked correction after the introduction of TAREGs.  Airframe and aircrew losses dramatically decreased from 1997 onwards.
  • Complex Technology Ranges, like the DASH, are only made safe if they are technically managed under a TRF.

Why does a PE need a TRF?

  • The PE is only able to act with the authority provided by the TRF within which he/she is appointed.
  • The TRF enables the PE to appoint subordinate technical authorities that support the PE.
  • Using the TRF, the PE is enabled to assure operators and warfighters that their capabilities are both fit-for-purpose, and, safe and suitable for service.

Future

  • Proxenus leads the way with technical management and authority in the Complex Technology Ranges sector.
  • Proxenus remains vigilant and continues to support Defence’s urban operational capability, and to safeguard DASH operations.