AERIUS Marine Australia has been awarded a significant contract by BAE Systems Maritime Australia to supply the complete Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems for the first three Hunter class frigates. This contract involves the design, manufacture, and installation of three full shipsets of specialized HVAC equipment that will manage the entire onboard climate for these advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates.
Leveraging its role as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the Type 26 frigate HVAC systems built for the UK Royal Navy, AERIUS will utilise its established expertise. While the system requires specific alterations for the Hunter class, the company is well-positioned to deliver the more than 900 unique equipment parts that constitute the complex system. This award is notably the final Long Lead Time Items (LLTI) contract for the initial vessel batch, marking the completion of all platform and combat system contracts for Batch 1 of the program.
Andy Coxall, BAE Systems’ Delivery Director, welcomed AERIUS, highlighting the company’s status as a leading global maritime HVAC solutions provider. He reinforced that the Hunter class program is foundational to continuous naval shipbuilding in Australia and is committed to developing national industrial capability. The program has now engaged over 80 Australian companies for the first three frigates and is projected to create and sustain more than 5,000 jobs across BAE Systems and the wider defence supply chain.
Shankar Rasiah, Managing Director of AERIUS Marine Australia, confirmed his team’s ongoing involvement. A core group of Australian engineers and draftspersons has already been engaged in the design and 3D modelling phase. This local team, augmented by other specialist Australian marine industry engineering service providers, manufacturers, and contractors, will form the complete capability necessary to successfully deliver the frigates’ HVAC system, underscoring the project’s deep investment in Australian industry capability.
