Vertical launch missile tubes and propellers are among the diverse items destined to be repurposed to keep the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate fleet operational in the years to come.
As per a recent press statement, Babcock Australasia has been harvesting various items from the decommissioned former HMAS Anzac to help keep the other seven frigates in the class afloat and operational.
The work has taken place across six months and stripping the frigate of her viable systems has taken around 30,000 work hours cumulatively. The warship has now been handed over to a separate team for disposal.
As per the firm’s statement, hundreds of pieces of critical equipment have been harvested from the frigate, including the vessel’s vertical-launch missile system, diesel propulsion engines, propellers, drive train components and a series of other unspecified platform and combat systems.
Some equipment has already been transferred to other ships in the class, helping speed them back into service following maintenance.
The lead ship in her class, the warship was decommissioned in May 2024 following 28 years of RAN service. She was notable for having become the first RAN ship to fire in combat since the Vietnam War when she took part in the Battle of Al Faw as part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq alongside other allied forces.
Babcock acted as Principal Contractor on the six-month project on behalf of the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA) alliance: a strategic partnership between Babcock, BAE Systems, SAAB, and the Commonwealth of Australia.
Babcock Australasia Marine Program Delivery Director Carl Blacow commented: “The WAMA alliance worked closely with the customer to develop a list of key equipment for removal, and I’m pleased to say we have exceeded those expectations, recovering additional assets beyond those initially requested.
“This delivers long-term operational advantages to Defence because some of these valuable items have long lead times to repair or procure. Having these components readily available as spares will significantly reduce delivery times and enhance fleet readiness.”
Anzac’s sister ship HMAS Arunta is scheduled to follow Anzac into decommissioning some time next year.
- You can read more details on the Babcock Australasia website