Australian shipbuilders Austal and ASC Shipbuilding announced they are teaming up for the construction of the Australian Navy’s SEA5000 Future Frigates.
Under this arrangement, ASC Shipbuilding and Austal will act as one in support of the program, combining their skills and experience.
“The Austal/ASC Shipbuilding teaming arrangement offers a compelling, low risk, Australian shipbuilding solution for each of the three shortlisted international designers; BAE, Fincantieri and Navantia,” Austal CEO, David Singleton said.
“The opportunity to work with ASC Shipbuilding to bring Australia’s shipbuilding industry into an export competitive position is a game changing announcement and something we are both very excited about,” Singleton added.
ASC Shipbuilding CEO, Mark Lamarre, said the company and its 1100 shipbuilders in Osborne, South Australia, were a national asset that had proved in recent years its ability to deliver major naval warships, as shipbuilder for the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance.
“This is a powerful partnership that not only achieves the Government’s objectives for a sovereign and sustainable shipbuilding capability in Australia, as set out in the recent Naval Shipbuilding Plan, but confirms to all those in the industry that there is a bright and successful future ahead,” Lamarre said.
The $35 billion Future Frigate Program will deliver replacement vessels for the existing fleet of Anzac-class frigates with production scheduled to commence from 2020 at the Federal Government-owned shipyard in Osborne, South Australia.
The three European shipbuilders shortlisted for the Future Frigate designs are Italian Fincantieri, UK’s BAE Systems and Spanish Navantia.