BAE Systems, BMT win $163M deal to support Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates

April 9, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

BAE Systems Australia – Maritime and BMT have been awarded the Anzac Class Designer Support Contract (DSC) to sustain and enhance the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates.

As informed, BAE Systems and BMT will combine platform expertise, access to design authority, and sovereign capability support to enhance Anzac-class vessels.

The engineering design contract is valued at $163 million over seven years.

“This award marks a new chapter in Anzac-class sustainment. As the company that constructed the Anzac fleet and successfully delivered two major upgrade programs across the class, we’re proud to combine our experience with the expanded capabilities of BMT to deliver safe, efficient, and reliable outcomes for the Commonwealth,” said David Shepherd, Managing Director, Surface Ships, BAE Systems Australia – Maritime.

“The DSC-West contract will be delivered out of the Henderson shipyard in Perth, as well as across multiple offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and other locations. The contract award leverages these teams’ deep platform knowledge, direct access to design authority, and strong sovereign capability to ensure reliable availability and future-ready upgrades for the Anzac class,” Graeme Nayler, Managing Director, BMT, stated.

BAE Systems Australia has more than three decades of involvement in the build, sustainment, and upgrade of the Anzac-class frigates. The involvement commenced with the design and construction of ten vessels, eight for the Royal Australian Navy and two for the Royal New Zealand Navy, in Williamstown, Victoria, between 1989 and 2006.

Upgrades to the Anzac-class frigates are carried out at BAE’s Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.