diff --git a/bnk/cneinstance/bnkforge.pack.json b/bnk/cneinstance/bnkforge.pack.json
index 17574a7..ec94610 100644
--- a/bnk/cneinstance/bnkforge.pack.json
+++ b/bnk/cneinstance/bnkforge.pack.json
@@ -203,6 +203,15 @@
         "default": "",
         "source": "auto"
       },
+      {
+        "name": "bnk_gateway_chassis",
+        "type": "object({name=optional(string),default_listener_networks=list(object({name=string,start_address=string,end_address=string}))})",
+        "description": "F5BnkGateway chassis CR — required on AWS/EKS for Gateway-API translation. Without it the CNE controller silently ignores all Gateway/HTTPRoute CRs even when Programmed=True. Empty default_listener_networks = skip (on-prem default).",
+        "default": {
+          "default_listener_networks": []
+        },
+        "source": "user"
+      },
       {
         "name": "tmm_init_enabled",
         "type": "boolean",
diff --git a/bnk/cneinstance/main.tf b/bnk/cneinstance/main.tf
index 84523d0..a500ea2 100644
--- a/bnk/cneinstance/main.tf
+++ b/bnk/cneinstance/main.tf
@@ -376,6 +376,67 @@ MANIFEST
   }
 }
 
+# =============================================================================
+# F5BNKGATEWAY CHASSIS CR (AWS/EKS — required for Gateway-API translation)
+# =============================================================================
+# Despite F5 docs saying F5BnkGateway is optional, in f5ingress:v14.19.4-0.1.36
+# it's the trigger that activates the entire Gateway translation pipeline on
+# AWS/EKS. Without it the controller logs "Watched application namespaces: []"
+# and silently ignores all Gateway+HTTPRoute CRs even with Programmed=True.
+#
+# Recipe verified on aws-syd-test 2026-04-30 — see agent memory note
+# project_aws_syd_test_tmm_kernelmode_break.md for the discovery trail.
+#
+# Created in the same namespace as the CNEInstance (controller's namespace).
+# Empty default_listener_networks list = skip (preserves on-prem behavior).
+
+resource "null_resource" "f5_bnkgateway_chassis" {
+  count = length(var.bnk_gateway_chassis.default_listener_networks) > 0 ? 1 : 0
+
+  triggers = {
+    chassis_hash = sha256(jsonencode(var.bnk_gateway_chassis))
+    namespace    = var.instance_namespace
+    name         = var.bnk_gateway_chassis.name
+    kubeconfig   = local_file.kubeconfig.filename
+  }
+
+  provisioner "local-exec" {
+    command = <<-EOT
+      echo "=== Creating F5BnkGateway chassis CR ==="
+      cat <<'MANIFEST' | ${local.kubectl} apply -f -
+apiVersion: k8s.f5net.com/v1
+kind: F5BnkGateway
+metadata:
+  name: ${var.bnk_gateway_chassis.name}
+  namespace: ${var.instance_namespace}
+spec:
+  ingressConfig:
+    defaultListenerNetworks:
+%{for net in var.bnk_gateway_chassis.default_listener_networks~}
+    - name: "${net.name}"
+      startAddress: "${net.start_address}"
+      endAddress: "${net.end_address}"
+%{endfor~}
+MANIFEST
+      echo "F5BnkGateway chassis ${var.bnk_gateway_chassis.name} created"
+    EOT
+  }
+
+  provisioner "local-exec" {
+    when    = destroy
+    command = <<-EOT
+      echo "=== Deleting F5BnkGateway chassis ${self.triggers.name} ==="
+      kubectl --kubeconfig ${self.triggers.kubeconfig} delete f5-bnkgateway ${self.triggers.name} \
+        -n ${self.triggers.namespace} 2>/dev/null || \
+      echo "F5BnkGateway already deleted or not found"
+    EOT
+  }
+
+  depends_on = [
+    null_resource.cneinstance,
+  ]
+}
+
 # =============================================================================
 # WRITE MANIFEST TO FILE
 # =============================================================================
diff --git a/bnk/cneinstance/variables.tf b/bnk/cneinstance/variables.tf
index 73a4467..e07a1ce 100644
--- a/bnk/cneinstance/variables.tf
+++ b/bnk/cneinstance/variables.tf
@@ -114,6 +114,34 @@ variable "cloud_az_subnet_mappings" {
   default = []
 }
 
+variable "bnk_gateway_chassis" {
+  description = <<-EOT
+    F5BnkGateway chassis CR config. Must be set for AWS/EKS deployments —
+    the CNE controller's Gateway-API translation pipeline depends on it.
+    Without this CR, the controller logs "Watched application namespaces:
+    []" and ignores all Gateway+HTTPRoute CRs even when CNEInstance shows
+    Programmed=True.
+
+    Use explicit start_address + end_address per listener network. The
+    CRD's ipv4BaseCidr alternative is rejected by the controller runtime
+    ("IPRange error: start/end IP addresses do not match IPv4 family").
+
+    Empty default_listener_networks list = skip chassis CR creation
+    (preserves pre-existing on-prem behavior).
+  EOT
+  type = object({
+    name = optional(string, "bnk-gateway-chassis")
+    default_listener_networks = list(object({
+      name          = string
+      start_address = string
+      end_address   = string
+    }))
+  })
+  default = {
+    default_listener_networks = []
+  }
+}
+
 # =============================================================================
 # DEPLOYMENT CONFIGURATION
 # =============================================================================