Rolls-Royce has expanded its partnership with Australian engineering company Marand Precision Engineering into a new export venture, supplying naval gas turbine propulsion packages to the Type 26 Global Combat Ship program.
Alongside this, Rolls-Royce has opened a new regional Defence Headquarters in Canberra, Australia, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to supporting the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The Canberra facility was officially opened by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles on August 12, 2026.
The new, dedicated Defence headquarters will serve as the strategic hub for Rolls-Royce Defence Pacific Rim operations, servicing markets across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
Meanwhile, under the new arrangement, Marand will manufacture three additional gas turbine acoustic enclosures and associated ship interface systems for the Type 26 programme. The components will be manufactured and assembled at Marand’s Melbourne facility before being supplied to Rolls-Royce.
The agreement follows a competitive international tender and builds on Marand’s existing work for the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter-class frigate programme. Under that contract, Marand supplies the same systems for Rolls-Royce’s MT30 gas turbines, with completed propulsion packages delivered to BAE Systems Australia.
This builds on an existing contract under which Marand supplies the same systems for the Commonwealth of Australia’s Hunter-class Frigate Program.
The completed propulsion packages are delivered to the shipbuilder, BAE Systems Australia. Rolls-Royce supplies the MT30 gas turbines under both contracts, while mtu power generation solutions also support the Hunter-class programme as part of Rolls-Royce’s broader naval power and propulsion portfolio.
Rolls-Royce engineers are working alongside Marand’s manufacturing teams in Melbourne on the design, packaging and testing of the MT30 enclosures. The companies said the arrangement is intended to increase local manufacturing and engineering capability in Australia.
The partnership is also part of Rolls-Royce’s broader efforts to expand its defense industrial presence in Australia.
"This is a transformative step in our partnership with Marand Precision Engineering. Marand was selected from an international field, a testament to the quality of Australian engineering, and it underscores our commitment to bolster Australia's sovereign capability. We look forward to working closely with Marand, BAE Systems Australia, and our customers around the world," Alex Zino, Defence Director of Business Development and Future Programmes, UK and International, Rolls-Royce, said.
"It is a privilege for our team to manufacture and assemble the gas turbine acoustic enclosure and ship interface systems for Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems Australia and ultimately for the Commonwealth. The partnership with Rolls-Royce has been an opportunity to learn from, and deliver an outstanding product with, a global leader in Defence Engineering," Rohan Stocker, CEO of ASDAM Group and Marand, commented.