XLERPLATE® steel supply contract for Air Warfare Destroyer project

26 May 2009

BlueScope Steel has won a contract to supply XLERPLATE® steel for the first of the Australian Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program

Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, announced BlueScope Steel has been chosen as a major supplier to Australia's Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program, winning a contract to supply XLERPLATE® steel for the first of the advanced vessels.

The A$8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program will deliver three Australian built specialised ships with formidable air defence capabilities, the most advanced ships to be operated by the Royal Australian Navy. The ships are designed to provide a defensive umbrella for accompanying ships as well as land forces and infrastructure in nearby coastal areas, and for self protection against attacking missiles and aircraft.

The award of the major supply contract to BlueScope Steel continues the company's long tradition of manufacturing and supplying XLERPLATE® steel for major defence projects. Specialised shipbuilding steels from BlueScope Steel have been integral to the success of previous strategic projects including construction of the Anzac Class Frigates, SSG Collins Class Submarines and the New Zealand Navy's Project Protector.

BlueScope Steel maintains specialist expertise in the manufacture of shipbuilding steels and holds accreditation to internationally recognised Shipbuilding Standards, such as Lloyds Register, American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai.

BlueScope Steel's comprehensive range of specialised XLERPLATE® steel allows customers to specify tailored size and grade combinations for design optimisation and waste minimisation. This flexibility helped BlueScope Steel win the AWD contract and will see the steel supplied in ‘ship sets'.

The initial production run for the first AWD will commence with the HMAS Hobart. The contract will run over six years with BlueScope Steel producing around 3,000 tonnes of steel per ship. Ships will be commissioned between 2014 and 2017.