Sector: Shipbuilding & Defence | Founded: 1988 | Listed: ASX: ASB | Employees: ~4,479 | HQ: Henderson, Western Australia, Australia
Company Overview
Austal Limited is an Australian-based global shipbuilder and defence prime contractor, founded in Henderson, Western Australia in 1988. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: ASB), the company has grown from a commercial vessel builder into one of the world’s foremost designers and constructors of high-speed aluminium and steel vessels for both defence and commercial customers. Austal has delivered more than 350 vessels to 122 operators across 59 countries, operating shipbuilding facilities in Australia, the United States, the Philippines and Vietnam, with sustainment and support centres extending its reach further still.
With revenue of approximately A$1.82 billion in FY2025 and a global workforce of around 4,479 people, Austal operates across four business segments: USA Shipbuilding, USA Support, Australasia Shipbuilding and Australasia Support. The company serves navies, coast guards, border protection agencies and commercial ferry operators, with an expanding portfolio of autonomous and unmanned vessel technologies positioning it firmly within the future of maritime operations.
Defence and Government Shipbuilding
Austal has built its reputation on the delivery of mission-critical vessels for naval and government customers. In Australia, the company holds a landmark Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement (SSA) signed in August 2025, under which it serves as prime contractor for 18 Landing Craft Medium and eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels for the Australian Army, to be built at its Henderson shipyard in Western Australia. The company has also been awarded contracts for additional Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats for the Australian Border Force, and has completed the delivery of 24 Guardian-class Patrol Boats under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement project.
In the United States, Austal USA — established in Mobile, Alabama in 1999 — is one of the country’s leading naval shipbuilders, with programmes including the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) and modules for Virginia-class submarines. Operating under a Special Security Arrangement, Austal USA works independently on some of the most sensitive US defence programmes despite its foreign ownership.
Autonomous and Unmanned Vessel Technology
Autonomy is a central pillar of Austal’s technology strategy, and the company has invested significantly in developing autonomous and optionally crewed maritime platforms that mirror the trajectory seen in autonomous ground and air vehicle development. In 2025, Austal launched its AROS product suite — comprising the AROS Platform Controller and AROS Console — providing the integration layer between engineering, navigation and mission systems required to enable fully autonomous vessel operation.
The AROS Platform Controller, awarded an Approval in Principle by classification society DNV, provides a standardised interface that supervises critical vessel information and enables full autonomy when paired with compatible navigation systems. The AROS Console, developed in collaboration with Greenroom Robotics, supports remote piloting of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), remotely operated vessels and uncrewed air vehicles, as well as mission planning and remote engineering functions.
Austal’s Vantage-class optionally crewed surface vessel, available in 25 and 55 metre variants, can operate crewed, remotely or fully autonomously, with flexible payload interfaces through containerised standards. The company also delivered Vanguard — the US Navy’s first purpose-built autonomous surface vessel — through a partnership with L3Harris under the Overlord Unmanned Surface Vessel programme in 2024. Additionally, the Expeditionary Fast Transport 13 (EPF 13) demonstrated the capability to operate for up to 30 days without human intervention through automated maintenance and health-monitoring systems.
Platform Systems and Vessel Intelligence
Beyond the hull, Austal designs, integrates and maintains sophisticated vessel command and control systems across its fleet. Its MARINELINK platform provides integrated monitoring and control across a vessel’s hull, mechanical and electrical systems, whilst its Motion Control systems and interceptors enhance vessel stability and seakeeping in demanding conditions. These capabilities underpin the company’s growing offering in autonomous operations, providing the data infrastructure on which AI-driven decision-making and remote oversight depend.
Commercial Shipbuilding
Austal’s commercial division produces high-speed passenger and vehicle-passenger ferries, offshore crew transfer vessels and windfarm support craft, primarily from its facilities in the Philippines and Vietnam. The company’s Balamban shipyard on Cebu Island, established in 2011, constructs large aluminium catamarans for international ferry operators, while its Vung Tau facility in Vietnam, opened in 2018, broadens capacity for the global ferry and offshore support market. In March 2026, Austal Vietnam launched the 71-metre RORO passenger cargo vessel Dory 2, illustrating the shipyard’s growing capability in steel construction.
Sustainment and Support
Austal provides comprehensive through-life support to both its defence and commercial customers, offering vessel maintenance, repair, docking management, crew training and integrated logistics support. Its sustainment network operates across Australia, the United States, the Philippines and Oman, ensuring customers maintain operational readiness throughout the service life of their fleets. Training and consultancy services extend this offering further, drawing on Austal’s deep institutional knowledge of the vessels it has designed and constructed.
Key Products
- Vantage-class Optionally Crewed Surface Vessel — 25 and 55 metre autonomous-ready platforms for naval and government use
- AROS Platform Controller — DNV-approved autonomy and mission integration controller for crewed and uncrewed scenarios
- AROS Console — Remote piloting and mission tasking station for USVs, ROVs and UAVs
- MARINELINK — Integrated vessel monitoring, control and information management system
- Motion Control Systems — Ride control and interceptor technology for enhanced seakeeping
- Guardian-class Patrol Boat — 39.5-metre aluminium patrol vessel for Pacific island nations
- Cape-class Patrol Boat (Evolved) — Border protection vessel for Australian government agencies
- Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF / Spearhead-class) — High-speed logistics and support vessel for the US Navy
- Landing Craft Medium and Heavy — Amphibious landing craft for the Australian Army under the SSA
- High-Speed Passenger and Vehicle Ferries — Commercial aluminium catamarans for global ferry operators
