The Austal–BMT strategic agreement signing took place at the Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference and Exhibition (IODS), held in Perth (WA), from 26–28 May 2026. From left to right: Trevor Dove, Future Business Director APAC, BMT; James Stokes, President – Australasia, Austal; Graeme Nayler, Regional Business Director APAC, BMT; and Oliver Morton, EVP Sales and Strategy, Austal.
The agreement establishes an enterprise-level framework that enables Austal to access specialist resources as project demands fluctuate and creates a dedicated platform for closer collaboration on commercial ship projects - an area of shared strategic priority for both organisations.
Under the agreement, effective last month, BMT will provide naval architecture and engineering services to support the delivery of ship design and technical integration activities. This scalable model enables Austal to respond efficiently to peak project requirements, reducing schedule risk while maintaining focus on core shipbuilding operations.
The collaboration also opens a structured pathway for joint pursuit of commercial vessel projects, bringing together independent ship design expertise, including an extensive portfolio of specialist ship designs and proven shipbuilding capability to support faster, more competitive delivery for customers.
Both organisations intend to leverage this agreement to jointly pursue new market opportunities, reinforcing a long-standing working relationship between Australia’s strategic shipbuilder and its largest independent ship design capability, while also focusing on commercial and export shipbuilding sectors and supporting sustainable pipeline growth for both businesses.
Graeme Nayler, Managing Director at BMT, said:
“This agreement means a great deal to us and reflects the strong mutual value we see in working with Austal. BMT has built its reputation over decades by supporting primes and shipbuilders in delivering complex maritime capability through deep, trusted relationships across the shipbuilding community, and Austal represents exactly the kind of forward-looking capability partner with whom we want to grow.
Together, we bring highly complementary strengths: Austal’s standing as Australia’s strategic shipbuilder, and BMT’s position as Australia’s largest independent maritime design, engineering and assurance capability.
I am proud that this agreement reflects the maturity of that relationship and am genuinely excited about what we can achieve together, particularly in the commercial sector, where there is real momentum and opportunity ahead.
At the same time, we are clear-eyed about the operational realities facing shipbuilders across the region. Program demands are intensifying, and the ability to rapidly scale capability is no longer simply a competitive advantage; it is becoming a program necessity. This agreement is a practical response to that reality and reflects our commitment to making it easier for Austal to deliver critical shipbuilding programs with confidence, depth and resilience.”
Oliver Morton, Executive Vice President Sales and Strategy at Austal Limited said:
“Austal is pleased to formalise this strategic agreement with BMT, building on a long-standing relationship founded on complementary capability and shared ambition.
As our shipbuilding programs continue to grow, access to scalable, specialist design and engineering support will help us respond with agility while maintaining focus on safe, efficient and high-quality shipbuilding delivery.
The agreement also creates a strong platform for collaboration in commercial vessel markets, where Austal and BMT can combine proven ship design expertise with world-class shipbuilding capability to deliver competitive solutions for customers in Australia and internationally.”
This agreement reflects the natural evolution of a relationship that has deepened steadily based on shared ambitions and complementary capabilities. BMT's collaborative footprint in the Australian and Asia-Pacific maritime domain spans a broad portfolio - from its role alongside BAE Systems on the Anzac Class Designer Support Contract (DSC-West) and its acquisition of Australian Maritime Technologies, to its SEA1442 Phase 5 communications program for the Royal Australian Navy, and its partnership with KBR on maritime sustainment outcomes. Across commercial and defence domains, BMT has consistently shown that independent design expertise, combined with deep, complementary industry partnerships, delivers the strongest outcomes for customers in the maritime domain.
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