$5 billion Henderson shipbuilding program moves into production

Construction has begun on the first vessels in the Australian Army’s new landing craft fleet, marking a significant milestone for Henderson’s growing role as a national shipbuilding hub.

The Federal Government announced today, Remembrance Day 2026, that steel has now been cut for the first of eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels, with work underway at Henderson, just south of Fremantle, under contracts worth more than $5 billion awarded to Austal Defence Australia. The broader program includes eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels and 18 Landing Craft Medium vessels for the Army.

Here are mock-up images of Landing Craft Heavy (left) and Landing Craft Light vessels.

The project is expected to create more than 1,100 direct jobs and over 2,000 indirect jobs, while providing a long-term pipeline of work for Western Australia’s defence and marine industries.

The landing craft form a key part of the Army’s transformation towards operations in Australia’s northern approaches and the Indo-Pacific region. Defence says the vessels will be able to transport heavy equipment including Abrams tanks, HIMARS rocket systems and other armoured vehicles.

The eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels, worth about $4 billion, are being built by Austal Defence Australia at Henderson and are based on the Damen LST100 design. Delivery of the fleet is scheduled to continue through to 2038.

The Government has also backed the project through a $245 million loan from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation to support construction and fit-out facilities for the Landing Craft Heavy program at the Australian Marine Complex.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said today the project had moved “from design into delivery” and would provide thousands of jobs while supporting the Federal Government’s commitment to continuous shipbuilding in Western Australia.

WA Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Amber-Jade Sanderson said the project demonstrated the capability of the state’s defence industry and would support local jobs and sovereign manufacturing capability.

Federal Member for Fremantle Josh Wilson said Henderson’s longstanding maritime workforce would play a central role in building and sustaining Australia’s future defence fleet.

*By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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