The Royal Australian Navy's future strategy

[na grohmiti]

Is that a ship lift?

Syncro Lift. Very useful piece of kit.

[DeV]

Indeed, what will the yards do until 2020?

Speaking of which, here is how they drydock a ship.

Is that a ship lift?

[SouthernOne]

Indeed, what will the yards do until 2020?

Speaking of which, here is how they drydock a ship.

Building of 12 offshore patrol vessels of 1,800t each is about to commence, while a major upgrade of the ANZACs recently started. There will also be a lot of 'front end' work underway for the new submarine project (building 12 4-5,000t attack submarines)

[Anzac]

It will be interesting to see how many Mk-41 VLS cells are fitted. Models and graphics seem to show 32, but there looks to be space for double that which would be more than the AWDs. There also looks to be space to fit two to three times as many canister launched anti-ship missiles as well.

I suspect that RUM-139 VL-ASROC will be sought as per one of the Hunters main focuses so once ESSM-B2, possible TLAM and SM-6 are piled in 32 cells might not be enough. Especially in an era where the PRCN are putting Type 055's Aegis clones into service with 112 VLS on board.

[SouthernOne]

Indeed, what will the yards do until 2020?

Construction of 12 OPVs of 1,800 tonnes is about to commence: https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/ai...-or-submarines

A major upgrade of the 8 ANZACs has just begun that will include fitting them with the new CEAFAR2-L medium/long range search radar. The CEA radars are scaleable, being constructed from "tiles" - the bigger the ship the more "tiles" that can be included to increase power and range. So the ANZACs will most likely have a "small ship" system fitted. https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/ma...class-frigates

SEA 1000, the new submarine project for 12 4-5,000 tonne SSKs (DCNS Short-fin Barracuda) has been going a few years, so the more high end work around setting up supply chains and production methods is probably starting to get serious. http://sea1000.gov.au/the-program/

[SouthernOne]

The 4th AWD would have been great in providing build continuity through to when the Hunters cut steel in terms of workforce retention. That said these "Frigates" are far more capable than the Hobart Class.

It will be interesting to see how many Mk-41 VLS cells are fitted. Models and graphics seem to show 32, but there looks to be space for double that which would be more than the AWDs. There also looks to be space to fit two to three times as many canister launched anti-ship missiles as well.

[na grohmiti]

Indeed, what will the yards do until 2020?

Speaking of which, here is how they drydock a ship.

[Anzac]

Interesting to see how Australia considers the real threat from Pacific based submarines. While the ANZAC was a great design, this vessel is a huge increase in capability. Unfortunate though that more AWDs were not built.

The 4th AWD would have been great in providing build continuity through to when the Hunters cut steel in terms of workforce retention. That said these "Frigates" are far more capable than the Hobart Class.

[na grohmiti]

Interesting to see how Australia considers the real threat from Pacific based submarines. While the ANZAC was a great design, this vessel is a huge increase in capability. Unfortunate though that more AWDs were not built.

[na grohmiti]

SEA 5000 winner revealed

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has tonight unveiled BAE Systems’ Type 26 Global Combat Ship as the design for Australia’s $35 billion Future Frigate program.
The new frigates will be officially known as the Hunter Class, with the Royal Australian Navy to receive nine advanced guided missile frigates beginning in the late 2020s.
In one of Defence’s most hotly-contested competitions in years, BAE Systems with its Type 26, Navantia with an evolved Hobart Class/F-100, and Fincantieri with its FREMM frigate were all considered for the next-generation of Australia's surface fleet.
The new Hunter Class will mark a major increase in the future capability of the RAN and will combine the powerful Aegis combat system, the Australian designed CEAFAR 2 phased array radar and a suite of advanced anti-submarine sensors, allowing the ships to conduct a variety of missions, with sufficient range, endurance and world-leading combat capability throughout the projected life of the vessels.
It can also be revealed that ASC Shipbuilding will build the next generation of frigates at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.
ASC Shipbuilding, currently wholly owned by the Commonwealth, will become a subsidiary of BAE Systems during the build.
According to the Prime Minister, this will ensure BAE Systems is fully responsible and accountable for the delivery of the frigates and guarantee the work will be carried out by Australian workers and create Australian jobs.
As part of the government's $89 billion Naval Shipbuilding Plan, BAE and it's winning design will be responsible for directly creating 4,000 jobs around the country while kickstarting the the nation's sustained sovereign shipbuilding capability once construction commences in 2020.
This concerted industrial effort will also provide further workforce and industry development opportunities in the lead-up to the rolling SEA 1000 Future Submarine procurement program, set to commence in Adelaide from 2022-23.

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/maritime-antisub/2496-sea-5000-winner-announced?utm_source=DefenceConnect&utm_campaign=28_06_18&utm_medium=email&utm_content=1&linkId=100000002884973

Here comes the Hunter: BAE awarded $35bn SEA 5000 Future Frigate contract

BAE Systems will equip the Royal Australian Navy with a fleet of nine highly-advanced frigates, transforming not only the Navy but Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding capabilities.
The new ships – called the Hunter Class – will be built in Australia using Australian steel, and signal a dramatic shift in both combat and industrial capability.
BAE Systems’ Type 26 Global Combat Ship has been locked in competition against Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, with its evolved Hobart Class/F-100, and Italy’s Fincantieri, with its FREMM frigate, to secure the hotly-contested SEA 5000 Future Frigates program.
The Type 26 is currently in production for the UK's Royal Navy, with the program running five years ahead of the Australian SEA 5000 Future Frigates project.
The first Australian vessel will now be the fourth of class. The first ship for the Royal Navy cut steel last year in Glasgow and is due to hit the water in 2020.
The next-generation frigates will provide the Australian Defence Force with “the highest levels of lethality and deterrence our major surface combatants need in periods of global uncertainty”, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.
The Type 26 is touted as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW)-centric vessel and a sound addition to Australia’s naval capabilities.
The Hunter Class will have the capability to conduct a variety of missions independently, or as part of a task group, with sufficient range and endurance to operate effectively throughout the region, according to Prime Minister Turnbull.
The ships will include the incorporation of the leading-edge Australian-developed CEA phased array radar and the US Navy’s powerful Aegis combat management system. With an Australian interface developed by Saab Australia, the Hunter Class will be one of the most capable multi-role warships in the world.
As a responsible regional actor, Australia's future frigates will also have the flexibility to support non-warfare roles such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
This $35 billion program will create 4,000 jobs throughout Australia and deliver unprecedented local and global opportunities for businesses large and small.
Deepening sovereign shipbuilding capability
The program provides a unique opportunity to not just strengthen but guarantee Australia's naval shipbuilding sovereignty.
BAE System's Hunter Class of frigates will be built by ASC Shipbuilding at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
ASC Shipbuilding, currently wholly owned by the Commonwealth, will become a subsidiary of BAE Systems.
This subsidiary status will ensure that BAE Systems is fully responsible and accountable for the timely delivery of the frigates and guarantees the work will be carried out by Australian workers and create Australian jobs, the Prime Minister said.
BAE Systems expects the Australian industry content (AIC) for the Hunter Class build will be 65-70 per cent, which will create and secure thousands of jobs for decades.
As part of its commitment to developing Australia's sovereign shipbuilding capability, BAE Systems has prequalified over 500 Australian businesses from every state and territory to be in the Hunter Class supply chain.
The build will draw on partners, including Rolls-Royce for example, which will provide the Type 26 powerplant, as detailed on the Defence Connect Podcast early this month.
The Commonwealth government will retain a sovereign share in ASC Shipbuilding while BAE manages the program, the Prime Minister said.
At the end of the program the Commonwealth will resume complete ownership of ASC Shipbuilding, thereby ensuring the retention in Australia of intellectual property, a highly skilled workforce and the associated equipment.
According to the Prime Minister, this will ensure that, by the conclusion of the frigate build, ASC Shipbuilding will be a strategic national asset capable of independently designing, developing and leading the construction of large, complex naval warships.
This agreement will not affect the Offshore Patrol Vessels, Air Warfare Destroyers, or the sustainment of the Collins Class submarines, and will not preclude ASC Group from pursuing future shipbuilding opportunities.
The Hunter Class will begin entering service in the late 2020s replacing the eight Anzac Class frigates, which have been in service since 1996.

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/maritime-antisub/2498-here-comes-the-hunter-bae-awarded-35b-sea-5000-future-frigate-contract

[Anzac]

Almost an evolved Hobart class, with search and fire control radar technology from the 2010s rather than the 1960s, and an additional helo or UAV.

Though the Sydney Morning Herald is tipping it to the Type 26 based on the nice chat that Turnbull had with Teresa May about a FTA. Whatever is finally chosen it will be interesting to see the final rationale.

Aren't the Hobarts going to upgrade in the next while to at least Aegis baseline 8 or 9 before SEA 5000 comes online?

[SouthernOne]

If they do select the Navantia F5000 with 48 VLS Aegis Baseline 9 CEAFAR and CEC then to all extent and purposes they are kind of ordering the 4th to 12th AWD's anyway.

Almost an evolved Hobart class, with search and fire control radar technology from the 2010s rather than the 1960s, and an additional helo or UAV.

[Anzac]

The 'future frigates' to be procured under Sea 5000 will actually be more capable ships, particularly in terms of anti-air, so the chances of an additional Hobart class are zero.

If they do select the Navantia F5000 with 48 VLS Aegis Baseline 9 CEAFAR and CEC then to all extent and purposes they are kind of ordering the 4th to 12th AWD's anyway.

[SouthernOne]

The launch of the third Air Warfare Destroyer , Sydney, took place on 19th May last. It is expected to be commissioned into service late in 2019. The 3 ship project is believed to have overrun by AU$1.2bn.
The option for a fourth ship has not yet been exercised.

The 'future frigates' to be procured under Sea 5000 will actually be more capable ships, particularly in terms of anti-air, so the chances of an additional Hobart class are zero.

[na grohmiti]

The launch of the third Air Warfare Destroyer , Sydney, took place on 19th May last. It is expected to be commissioned into service late in 2019. The 3 ship project is believed to have overrun by AU$1.2bn.
The option for a fourth ship has not yet been exercised.