High degree of commonality between Hunter and City class as contract signed for Aus programme
With the award and signing of the contract to begin the formal design and build work of the Hunter-class frigates destined for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the programme can now move forward in earnest as it looks to meet a 2022 deadline for first steel cutting.
The contract was awarded to BAE Systems Australia’s new subsidiary ASC Shipbuilding, which was structurally separated from ASC Pty and acquired on 14 December.
BAE Systems Australia chief executive Gabby Costigan stated: ‘We are extremely proud to have been chosen to design and manufacture a formidable fleet of frigates that will give
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial effort designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![Quantum Systems enters maritime domain with Baltic-focused USV and UUV]()
Quantum Systems enters maritime domain with Baltic-focused USV and UUV
Quantum Systems has launched into the maritime domain with Seavex and Subvex, aiming to close a Baltic Sea ISR gap opened by infrastructure sabotage.
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
