Austal Secures $680 Million Landing Craft Medium Contract
Austal announced on December 18, 2025, that its subsidiary Austal Defence Shipbuilding Australia has been officially awarded a contract worth over A$1 billion (US$688 million). This represents Austal's first vessel construction program under Australia's commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding at Henderson in Western Australia.
Construction for the LCM fleet will commence in 2026 with delivery expected by 2032. These steel-hulled vessels can carry loads up to 80 tonnes and are intended to support military operations. Paddy Gregg, CEO of Austal Limited emphasized how essential this contract was in developing shipbuilding capability for larger, more complex vessels as well as creating sovereign shipbuilding capability within Australia.
Austal Defence Shipbuilding received this contract shortly after signing a Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement with the Australian government in August 2025, creating Austal Defence Shipbuilding as a special-purpose subsidiary. Alongside Austal's LCM contract, Austal was chosen by Australian officials to build eight future Landing Craft Heavy vessels using Damen Landing Ship Transport design; each can carry over 500 tonnes of military equipment - such as Abrams tanks.
Bunkering Services Initiative to be Launched in ARA Region
Bunkering Services Initiative will officially kick-off operations across Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp ports starting December 1, 2025 as a voluntary initiative introduced enhanced standards for bunkering operations through technology-enabled verification and traceability of fuel quantity and quality.
The Initiative seeks to enhance transparency and efficiency for participating companies while tackling long-standing industry obstacles. By offering verifiable insights into fuel specifications and delivery accuracy, this program sets a new gold standard for bunkering operations - open to third-party participation within the ARA region as one of the world's premier bunkering hubs.