Click to download nomination form
In 2016, the Australian Naval Institute (ANI) created an award to honour an individual or individuals from Australian defence industry who have made an outstanding contribution to the capabilities and sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy. This award was named the “McNeil Prize” in honour of Rear Admiral Percival McNeil CB RAN.
The winner of the inaugural Prize in 2016 was Ian Croser AM, the co-founder of CEA Technologies. The citation for Mr Croser read: “Mr Croser, through his remarkable vision, perseverance, determination and a dogged desire for excellence had successfully developed unique radar and communications systems from the ground up. As a consequence the RAN, the ADF and the nation are now reaping significant benefits from his prodigious engineering talent and technical leadership”.
In 2017 the McNeil Prize was awarded to Peter Evans from Saab Australia Pty Ltd. The citation for Mr Evans read: “Peter Evans is an outstanding system engineer who has been instrumental in the development of the world class 9LV combat management system for the ANZAC class frigates, including the latest Anti-Ship Missile Defence upgrade being rolled out across the ANZAC Fleet. A variant of this system is also fitted to the Navy’s Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock ships and the new Fleet replenishment ships. The system has also be exported to the Royal Thai Navy and versions are in contention for the RAN’s Future Frigate and the Canadian Future Surface Combatant projects.”
The criteria for the prize are:
• the nominee is an individual or individuals from Australian defence industry;
• the nominee has made a significant contribution to the capabilities of the RAN.
The Prize is awarded annually and presented at the ANI’s Vernon Parker Oration and Annual Dinner which will be held in 2018 on 10 May in Canberra.
Nominations are to be in the form of a submission of no more than 500 words forwarded to the ANI Business Manager, Sue Hart at admin@navalinstitute.com.au. A nomination for is attached.
The closing date for nominations for the 2018 McNeil Prize is 10 April 2018.
For further information contact
• CAPT Tom Phillips at thomas.phillips@adele.edu.au; or
• the ANI Secretariat at admin@navalinstitute.com.au or 02 6290 1505.
