BMT and Austal have signed a strategic agreement to provide scalable ship design and engineering capability, supporting the delivery of shipbuilding programs.
“This agreement means a great deal to us and reflects the strong mutual value we see in working with Austal. BMT has built its reputation over decades by supporting primes and shipbuilders in delivering complex maritime capability through deep, trusted relationships across the shipbuilding community, and Austal represents exactly the kind of forward-looking capability partner with whom we want to grow," Managing Director at BMT, Graeme Nayler, said.
"Together, we bring highly complementary strengths: Austal’s standing as Australia’s strategic shipbuilder, and BMT’s position as Australia’s largest independent maritime design, engineering and assurance capability."
The agreement establishes an enterprise-level framework that enables Austal to access specialist resources as project demands fluctuate and creates a dedicated platform for closer collaboration on commercial ship projects - an area of shared strategic priority for both organisations.
“Austal is pleased to formalise this strategic agreement with BMT, building on a long-standing relationship founded on complementary capability and shared ambition," Executive Vice President Sales and Strategy at Austal, Oliver Morton, stated.
"As our shipbuilding programs continue to grow, access to scalable, specialist design and engineering support will help us respond with agility while maintaining focus on safe, efficient and high-quality shipbuilding delivery."
Under the agreement, effective this month, BMT will provide naval architecture and engineering services to support the delivery of ship design and technical integration activities. According to Austal, this scalable model enables it to respond efficiently to peak project requirements, reducing schedule risk while maintaining focus on core shipbuilding operations.
The collaboration also opens a structured pathway for joint pursuit of commercial vessel projects.
Both organisations intend to leverage this agreement to jointly pursue new market opportunities, reinforcing a long-standing working relationship while also focusing on commercial and export shipbuilding sectors and supporting sustainable pipeline growth for both businesses.
BMT's collaborative footprint in the Australian and Asia-Pacific maritime domain spans a broad portfolio - from its role alongside BAE Systems on the Anzac Class Designer Support Contract (DSC-West) and its acquisition of Australian Maritime Technologies, to its Sea 1442 Phase 5 communications program for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and its partnership with KBR on maritime sustainment outcomes.