Australia Invites Bids From BAE, Fincantieri, Navantia For World's Biggest Frigate Project

Australia today issued a Request for Tender (RFT) to BAE, Fincantieri and Navantia who have been shortlisted in its AU$35 billion Future Frigate project, said to be the largest project of its kind in the world.

Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said in an official release, “Today’s announcement shows the Government is on track to begin construction of the Future Frigates in 2020 in Adelaide.”

“The release of the RFT is an important part of the Competitive Evaluation Process which will lead to the Government announcing the successful designer for the Future Frigates in 2018,” Minister Pyne said adding that the evaluation of the responses to the Future Frigate RFT would commence later this year.

“Three designers—BAE Systems with the Type 26 Frigate, Fincantieri with the FREMM Frigate, and Navantia with a redesigned F100, have been working with Defence since August 2015 to refine  their designs.

“The three shortlisted designers must demonstrate and develop an Australian supply chain to support Australia's future shipbuilding industry, and also how they will leverage their local suppliers into global supply chains” the Minister for Defence Industry said.

The Future Frigates are the next generation of naval surface combatants and would conduct more challenging maritime warfare operations in our regions including delivering a greater impact on anti-submarine operations, Payne said.

The frigates will also be equipped with a range of offensive and self-protection systems.

The nine Future Frigates are part of the Government’s $89 billion national shipbuilding endeavour which would see Australia develop a strong and sustainable naval shipbuilding industry.