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Australia’s Hunter Class frigate program has reached a major construction milestone, with the keel laid for the first ship at South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard as the nation moves towards a larger and more capable Royal Australian Navy surface fleet.
The Albanese government has marked the formal keel laying of Australia’s first Hunter Class frigate, signalling further progress on the Royal Australian Navy’s future anti-submarine warfare fleet.
The traditional ceremony at Osborne Naval Shipyard included the placement of a coin beneath the keel, a longstanding naval custom intended to bring good fortune to the ship and its crew throughout its service life.
The Hunter Class is being built by BAE Systems Maritime Australia as part of the federal government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding in South Australia and a more capable and resilient surface combatant fleet.
The frigates are designed primarily around advanced anti-submarine warfare, providing the Navy with a sophisticated capability for detecting and countering underwater threats while operating alongside Australian allies and partners.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said the milestone demonstrated tangible progress towards a more lethal and resilient surface fleet: “The laying of the keel for the first Hunter Class frigate demonstrates tangible progress in the delivery of a more capable, lethal and resilient surface combatant fleet for Australia.”
Construction of the first ship is already well advanced, with 20 of its 22 hull blocks under construction. The first Hunter Class frigate is scheduled to enter Royal Australian Navy service in the early 2030s.
The program is supporting more than 2,500 direct jobs, predominantly in South Australia, while a further 5,000 Australian industry positions are being supported through the broader supply chain.
The frigates will also incorporate Australian-made radar technology alongside advanced combat-system components from the United States, reinforcing the program’s role within Australia’s broader defence industrial ecosystem.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the program is helping establish the skilled workforce required for increasingly complex naval projects while strengthening South Australia’s position as a national centre for shipbuilding.
“This Hunter Class frigate program is already supporting thousands of high-skilled and well-paid jobs. So, this is a landmark moment that demonstrates Australia already has the skilled workforce needed to undertake complex projects like this,” Minister Conroy said.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said more than 2,500 workers were already employed at Osborne on the Hunter program, describing the project as a major step towards continuous naval shipbuilding in Adelaide.
“More than 2,500 highly skilled men and women are now working at Osborne building the Hunter frigates, a massive undertaking that represents the start of continuous naval shipbuilding here in Adelaide. BAE have almost 600 tradespeople now working on this project, some of them young people trained up at our remarkable Technical Colleges, and now locked into well-paid, interesting lifelong careers. And there’s still AUKUS to come,” Premier Malinauskas said.
David Shepherd, managing director of BAE Systems Australia – Surface Ships, said: “The Hunter Class will form the backbone of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet for decades to come, with its unique capabilities, weapons, sensors and modular mission bay enabling it to undertake a wide range of missions in addition to hunting submarines.”
“This milestone is a proud moment for our workforce, our partners and the thousands of Australians contributing to a sovereign naval shipbuilding enterprise that will support Australia’s security and prosperity for generations,” Shepherd added.
The Hunter Class represents one element of Australia’s broader naval expansion, with construction of the frigates occurring alongside major investments in submarines, air warfare destroyers, uncrewed systems and other maritime capabilities.
The program is also expected to help sustain a long-term industrial workforce and supply chain in South Australia, providing a foundation for the future expansion of Australia’s naval construction effort under AUKUS and other major shipbuilding programs.
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