Austal (ASX: ASB) is Australia's global shipbuilder, Defence prime contractor and maritime technology partner of choice; designing, constructing and supporting defence, commercial and private vessels for the world's leading operators. The company operates shipbuilding and sustainment facilities in Australia, USA, Philippines and Vietnam.

Austal Limited ("Austal") is pleased to announce that it has signed a Heads of Agreement ("HoA") with the Commonwealth of Australia ("CoA" or "the Commonwealth") to establish a Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement ("SSA") between Austal and the Commonwealth. If ultimately signed, a Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement would see Austal selected as the Commonwealth's strategic shipbuilder at Henderson, Western Australia.

The SSA Contract will form part of the Commonwealth's vision to develop sustainable, continuous Naval Shipbuilding in Henderson, ensuring that it has the capacity and capability to build naval vessels including up to Tier 2 surface combatants as required.

Austal is looking to identify suppliers who are interested in supplying goods and/or services to Austal, across the following vessel programs, both during construction and subsequent in-service support phases of each program:

- Landing Craft - Medium (LC-M), up to 18 vessels

- Landing Craft - Heavy (LC-H), up to 8 vessels

- Patrol Vessel programs. Includes the Guardian Class steel hulled Patrol Boat and Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boat.

All interested Australian and New Zealand suppliers are invited to submit their expression of interest via the ICN Gateway. Please note, international suppliers who do not have a registered ABN, ACN or NZBN, should direct interest, in the first instance to https://australia.austal.com/supplying-austal-australia