Overview
To ensure the Royal Australia Navy’s Anzac class frigates have the best capability to serve and protect our country, we are part of the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA) with the Commonwealth of Australia, Saab Australia and Babcock Australasia.
Our involvement in the Anzac class frigates 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.
Since the Anzac class entered into service, we have continued to play a significant role in the through-life support and asset management of the Australian frigates with ongoing maintenance, and two major upgrades.
HMAS Anzac was the first of the frigates to be built and commissioned. In May 2024, it was decommissioned after 28 years of service.
Major upgrades and platform sustainment
Upgrades to the Anzac class frigates are carried out at our Henderson shipyard in Western Australia and supported by our Melbourne-based engineering team. The work of these teams in collaboration with our WAMA partners, has provided a formidable fleet of updated and capable warships to the Navy.
The first upgrade across all eight ships occurred between 2010 to 2017. The Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) program involved the installation of a new phased array radar, major engineering upgrades and maintenance.
The Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP) focuses on updating the platform's systems and communications, installation of the Long-Range Air Search Radar and general maintenance.
This scope of work includes the Platform Systems Obsolescence Program (PSR), SEA1442, SEA1448, Engineering changes, maintenance urgent defect rectifications and Platform Engineering Assessments.
Throughout the ASMD and AMCAP upgrades, our people and Navy personnel have undergone extensive advanced training to ensure all alliance partners are familiar with the ship upgrades, including software and technologies.
Core capabilities
In support of the Anzac fleet upgrades, our core capabilities include project management, engineering change from design to platform integration, planned and preventative maintenance execution, material procurement and coordination, warehousing, and distribution, ‘set to work’, test and trials, Urgent Defect Rectification (URDEF) management and physical condition assessments.
Throughout the Anzac class frigate upgrade programs, we have achieved outstanding results in the delivery of materially seaworthy warships and support systems to the Navy.