Innovative new composite repair technology, which could revolutionise in-water maintenance of Defence vessels and significantly boost fleet availability, has been successfully trialled by Babcock Australasia (Babcock) on three ships across the Royal Australian and Royal New Zealand Navies.
Serving as a permanent alternative to steel, the technology enables faster repair schedules and greater flexibility in where and when maintenance can be conducted — keeping ships at sea for longer and boosting capability available to put to sea.
Made from Fibre Reinforced Polymers, the method ensures durability while opening opportunities for future lightweighting. Unlike traditional steel fixes, it requires no hot works, cures quickly even underwater, and minimises disruption to systems and personnel.
The composites were used to crop and renew sections of the deck on the RNZN’s maritime replenishment vessel, HMNZS Aotearoa and repair hangar corrosion on HMNZS Te Mana. A complete targeted floor remediation was undertaken on the RAN’s HMAS Ballarat.
Babcock engaged FUZE — a leading provider of engineered composite solutions across the mining and offshore oil and gas sectors — to deliver the scheduled and unscheduled maintenance as part of its growing regional supply chain.
On HMNZS Aotearoa, repairs were completed in just eight days — compared with the four to six months typical of conventional methods — and received Lloyd’s class approval within 24 hours.
Babcock Australasia Managing Director Marine Simon Spratt said:
“The outcomes of these trials alongside the Royal Australian Navy and across ships in both Australia and New Zealand are highly encouraging. It represents another avenue to deliver repairs more quickly, with less disruption, and at lower cost than traditional methods.”
“By reducing maintenance windows and extending asset life, the technology helps us enhance fleet availability and delivers rapid response capability aligned with Defence priorities for readiness and resilience. Leveraging an integrated regional approach, we are generating efficiencies and sustainment outcomes that strengthen maritime capability across both nations while delivering greater value to our customers.”
FUZE Managing Director Jason Le Coultre said:
“We’ve been working closely with Navy and Babcock for several years to demonstrate how advances in composite engineering can directly benefit our armed forces. These trials show how composite technology can reduce the impact of the repair process.”
“By combining carbon or glass fibre with proven engineering, we deliver permanent, load‑bearing solutions that resist corrosion and adapt to complex shapes. Their flexibility and rapid response capability makes composites ideal for urgent repairs, supporting longer deployments, enhancing performance, reducing costs, and strengthening fleet readiness. We look forward to partnering with Babcock and the Australian and New Zealand Royal Navies to deliver future rapid response maintenance services.”
Photos of the repair works delivered by FUZE.