The SEA 5000 Phase 1 Hunter Class Frigate Project is one of the largest projects being undertaken by Defense, second only to the SEA 1000 Attack Class Submarine Project. It will provide nine anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates to replace the current Anzac Class fleet.
“The nine frigates are being built in batches of three. The last three will not be completed and released into service until well into the 2040s. And when each frigate is finished they have to be sustained,” Chen Xu Commercial Director of SEA 5000 Project said.
“This is not just a Defense project – this is a nation-building, Australian shipbuilding industry project,” Ms Xu said.
The Hunter Class will provide the Australian Defence Force with the highest levels of lethality and deterrence our major surface combatants need in periods of global uncertainty. They 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. The frigates will also have the flexibility to support non-warfare roles such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The new ships will be built by ASC Shipbuilding Pty Ltd at the expanded Osborne South Naval Shipyard in South Australia. This is one of a number of maritime projects being undertaken to ensure Australia retains capability in industry to build and sustain its naval vessels and implement the government’s commitment to a continuous build of naval surface ships in Australia.
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