BAE Systems Selected as Preferred Tenderer to Deliver Australia's SEA 5000 Future Frigates

OTTAWA, June 29, 2018 /CNW/ - BAE Systems has welcomed the Australian Government's announcement of its selection as the preferred tenderer for the SEA 5000 program to deliver nine Future Frigates for the Royal Australian Navy.

Construction of the Global Combat Ship – Australia is expected to create and sustain 5,000 highly skilled jobs, providing a significant contribution to the development of Australia's continuous naval shipbuilding capability and a boost to the nation's manufacturing industry.

The Global Combat Ship - Australia is based on BAE Systems' Type 26 frigate, one of the world's most advanced anti-submarine warships, which the Company is currently constructing in Glasgow for the Royal Navy. Once contracted, the new ships to be called the Hunter Class, will be built in South Australia by an Australian workforce, using Australian suppliers from every state and territory.

BAE Systems Chief Executive, Charles Woodburn, said: "BAE Systems' selection as preferred tenderer for SEA 5000 reinforces our position as a leading designer and builder of complex maritime platforms. I am proud that our world class anti-submarine warfare design and our approach to transferring technology and skills to the nations in which we work is expected to contribute to the development of an enduring world-class naval shipbuilding industry in Australia."

Anne Healey, BAE Systems Country Director Canada, added: "We are proud that our colleagues in Australia and the UK have been selected as the preferred tenderer to provide the Royal Australian Navy with a world-class ship, equipped with the latest technologies and designed specifically to meet its needs.

"Type 26 was selected as the most capable ship, with a modern design and significant opportunities for capability upgrades. The Australian decision is an endorsement that Type 26 will be the leading anti-submarine frigate in the world.  With the UK and Australia programmes, we now have a huge opportunity for cooperation between navies and, if selected by Canada, would give us a true five eyes frigate.  We believe that, together with our partners, we have a great solution, which will bring significant IP and industrial content to Canada."

BAE Systems has partnered with Lockheed Martin Canada, CAE, L3 Technologies, MDA and Ultra Electronics to compete on the Canadian Surface Combatant program.  BAE Systems, will contribute its Type 26 Global Combat Ship design.

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