BAE Systems has welcomed the release of Australia's Surface Combatant Review (SCR) as the government moves to establish a next generation naval surface fleet.
The SCR has significant implications for BAE Systems Australia’s local operations, including the Hunter Class Frigate Program at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and the maritime sustainment facilities at Henderson in Western Australia.
“Today’s announcement provides decades worth of work at Osborne in South Australia and will see a growth in the work forecast in the West at the Henderson precinct," said Ben Hudson, Chief Executive Officer, BAE Systems Australia.
"This will underpin Australia’s ship building enterprise into the future and sustain vital Australian jobs in high end manufacturing, while providing resilience for our nation in uncertain times.”
BAE Systems stated that the confirmation that the Hunter program will continue and deliver six Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates 'underlines the government’s confidence in the Hunter class as one of the most capable ASW warships in the world and the ability of BAE Systems and our partners to deliver this critical capability for the Royal Australian Navy.'
With the announcement that the build of these six Hunter ASW frigates in Osborne will be followed by the build of three Air Warfare Destroyers to replace the Hobart class, the workforce in Osborne and our partners will reportedly have employment opportunities until the mid-2040s.
The parallel announcement of a plan for continuous shipbuilding work in Western Australia through the build of General-Purpose Frigates will see workforce growth across the Henderson precinct, a location where BAE Systems Australia has a large presence supporting the ANZAC class frigates with our partners.
“Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our workforce at the Osborne Naval Shipyard, we’ve already made significant progress in delivering the Hunter program and we are committed to working with the Government to deliver the program and ensure the Royal Australian Navy has the capability it needs to meet the challenges of the future,” said Craig Lockhart, Managing Director of BAE Systems Australia - Maritime.