13/05/2026
From lawn mowers to 🇦🇺 🇺🇸 🛠️
Congratulations to Century Engineering Pty Ltd for becoming the first South Australian company qualified through the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification ( ) Program to receive a purchase order from the United States.
Through AUSSQ, Century Engineering has received its first purchase order from Newport News Shipbuilding (a division of HII) for cranks, which form part of the blast deflector system (pictured below) on U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers ⚓🛫
Employing 190 skilled workers, Century Engineering has been delivering complex and technical engineering solutions for over 75 years. The company, which once produced engines for Victa lawn mowers, has evolved from supporting whitegoods and automotive manufacturing to defence projects, including Adelaide-built Hobart-class air warfare destroyers, Collins-class submarines and Hunter-class frigates.
AUSSQ is helping local companies like Century Engineering join the supply chain by becoming approved suppliers to HII, the largest military shipbuilder in the US and one of two companies that builds US nuclear-powered submarines. The Australian Government has invested a total of nearly $40 million in the AUSSQ program, with 13 Australian companies already achieving supplier qualifications through the program.
H&B Defence—a HII and Babcock Australia & New Zealand joint venture—is delivering the AUSSQ program, with their early focus being on Australian businesses delivering castings and forgings, and precision machining.
