Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will have the opportunity to enter the supply chain for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship program.
BAE Systems, the company in charge of developing the frigate, announced that some 150 Australian companies would pitch their products and services into the project.
The company will be meeting Australian SMEs over the next two days, together with 20 of its major suppliers to the Type 26 Global Combat Ship program, it was further said.
BAE Systems said it was already maturing the detailed design for the ships and that key contracts for long lead items for the first three ships were in place as the company is preparing to start the manufacturing phase.
This is despite of the fact that the British Ministry of Defence said in July this year that the construction start for the Type 26 program was delayed indefinitely. The number of ships to be built was earlier cut from 13 to 8.
BAE Systems Australia Director Strategy, Fran Murphy , said: “Securing work on a project the size and scale of the UK’s Type 26 to be built for the Royal Navy would position any Australian business well for future opportunities. The Global Combat Ship has been designed for export and is currently being offered to Australia and other nations around the world.”
BAE Systems Australia is also proposing the Global Combat Ship for the SEA 5000 (Future Frigates) program to replace the ANZAC class frigates.