When ex‑warship HMAS Anzac was decommissioned in May 2024, she was docked on the Frigate Laydown Area (FLA) within the Australian Marine Complex’s Common User Facility (AMCCUF). The FLA could not serve as her long‑term location however, as other vessels required access, prompting the need to relocate the ship to a temporary site and then to a final, Commonwealth‑approved location. The challenge was clear: how do you move a 3,500‑tonne frigate to an uneven site safely and efficiently?
Two relocations were required — first to a temporary site for component recovery activities, and then to a final location for disposal. Resurfacing was considered but ruled out due to cost and time. Instead, Babcock’s Naval Architect Team proposed an innovative alternative: sandboxes — a temporary, engineered bed of compacted sand used to distribute weight evenly, stabilise loads, and protect underlying surfaces.
The method has been used before for smaller vessels but never applied to an Anzac Class frigate in Australia.
Move One: From the FLA to the temporary component recovery site
To enable the first move, civil engineers tested soil composition, surveyors mapped the site with precision, and the AMCCUF Dockmaster and Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift completed transit path calculations to confirm the Self‑Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) could safely lift and position the ship.
Once approved through Defence’s technical certification processes, 68 sandboxes were fabricated, installed, filled and compacted to create a level, engineered surface capable of supporting the ship’s cradles. This compensated for the uneven terrain and allowed the SPMT to move the frigate safely into position.
Move Two: From the component recovery site to the final approved location
After component recovery, ex‑HMAS Anzac moved to her final site. Within six weeks, the new area was surveyed and inspected, and another 68 sandboxes were fabricated and installed. Replacement cradle components, including concrete blocks, supporting stools and bracing components, were designed and manufactured locally, each built to precise height requirements.
The ship was repositioned and secured within five hours. A controlled collapse of the sandboxes transferred the load onto the supporting stools, allowing each cradle beam to be safely removed. This method enabled the complete recovery of the cradle set, preserving an important asset for future dockings.
Engineering excellence and collaboration
The dual‑move operation was a feat of both engineering and collaboration. Babcock supply chain partner Allship Engineering led the cradle removal. Defence engineering authorities, Commonwealth stakeholders and Babcock’s engineers worked side by side, ensuring every design met relevant Defence engineering standards, including consideration of seismic and wind loads. On each moving day, the SPMT operators inched the frigate across the yard, aligning her precisely with the sandboxes.
What could have been a drawn‑out resurfacing project instead became a value‑for‑money solution, significantly more efficient and adaptable. The sandbox innovation opens the door to future naval and commercial ship dockings across parts of the AMC not previously used for this purpose, creating new operational flexibility for Australia’s maritime future.
The project showcased Babcock’s ability to deliver smart, cost‑effective engineering supported by a highly skilled workforce —74 per cent degree‑qualified — and a Graduate Program that saw emerging engineers contribute directly to design, testing and stakeholder engagement. Together, the team — tasked under the Warship Asset Management Agreement — set a new benchmark in naval sustainment through innovation, precision and strong collaboration across Defence and industry.
Babcock also drew on the strengths of its specialist supply chain, including Allship Engineering, Griffin Marine, IKAD Engineering, WGA, Linkforce, DC Survey and Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift.
“This project demonstrates the depth of our engineering capability and our commitment to empowering teams to innovate,” Babcock Australasia Managing Director Marine Simon Spratt said.
“Designing and implementing a sandbox solution for an Anzac Class frigate had never been attempted before. Working with precise tolerances, complex load calculations and demanding conditions, our engineers delivered a fully assured design in just six weeks. Through close collaboration with SMEs and Defence stakeholders, we turned a highly technical challenge into a proven solution.”