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BAE Systems’ shipbuilding of the Royal Australian Navy’s new Hunter Class frigate is continuing to rapidly grow and increase in production capacity.
BAE Systems’ has continued to grow and progress production of the newly introduced Hunter Class frigate for the Royal Australian Navy at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
In what acquisition and build director Andy Coxall said is a “milestone worth celebrating”, 15 months from the start of production has seen rapid progress, with a new unit beginning every few weeks and will accelerate to one new unit every 10 days at peak production capacity. This rampant production is evident in the installation of the port fin stabiliser, for example, which saw the first Category A major component being fitted in less than 24 hours.
“It reflects not only the capability of our workforce and partners but also the growing maturity of Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding enterprise,” Coxall said.
The Hunter Class Frigate Program, which aims to build a fleet of six ships, will begin service in the early 2030s, and is based and modified on BAE Systems’ existing Type 26 frigate design. The new RAN class will have a range of upgraded features and systems installed, such as MK 41 vertical launch systems as well as air-launched Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System. The frigate will be used primarily in anti-submarine warfare, air defence, surveillance and intelligence, and humanitarian assistance.
The Hunter Class Frigate Program has seen major collaboration with Australian contractors, businesses, and manufacturers. Over 80 contracts with local companies and 140 supplier contracts are currently active in the production levels, with Liferaft Systems Australia most recently joining through supplying Marine Evacuation Systems for the first three ships.
“We have a target of over 60 per cent of Australian contract expenditure during the prototyping and Batch 1 build phase, and we’re achieving above that already. We estimate the program has contributed about $2.2 billion of economic activity to Australia’s economy to date,” Coxall said.
BAE Systems aims to deliver the fleet to the Royal Australian Navy in 2032, with rollout to the hardstand in 2028.
