Australian general purpose frigate program

Last updated

Class overview
OperatorsNaval Ensign of Australia.svg  Royal Australian Navy (planned)
Preceded by Anzac-class frigate
BuiltCommencing in 2026 (planned)
In commissionFirst ship by 2030 (planned)
Planned11
Completed0
General characteristics
Type Frigate
Displacement3,000 to 5,000 tonnes
Armament16 or more VLS cells
Aircraft carriedOne helicopter

In February 2024, the Australian Government announced a program to acquire eleven general purpose frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). These warships arose from the Surface Fleet Review, and along with the larger Hunter-class frigates, will replace the Anzac-class frigates.

Contents

The new general purpose frigates are intended to be 'Tier 2' vessels that are less expensive and capable than the Hunter-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers. They will be used to escort other vessels, provide air defence and conduct attacks against surface targets. Four suitable designs were identified by an independent panel and the government intends to select a design in 2025 and commence construction of the ships in 2026. Three of the frigates are planned to be built overseas and the others will be built in Australia.

Planning

The 2023 Australian Defence Strategic Review raised concerns over the plans to acquire nine Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. The review also noted that other navies were tending to build larger numbers of smaller warships. In response, the Australian Government commissioned an independent review of the structure of the RAN's future surface fleet. [1] The review panel was led by the retired United States Navy Vice Admiral William Hilarides and also included the retired Australian public servant Rosemary Huxtable and the retired Australian Vice Admiral Stuart Mayer. [2]

Anzac-class frigate HMAS Warramunga in 2021 HMAS Warramunga in October 2021.jpg
Anzac-class frigate HMAS Warramunga in 2021

The Surface Fleet Review and the government's response to it were released on 20 February 2024. [3] Among a range of other recommendations, the panel called for the acquisition of "at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ships, optimised for undersea warfare, to operate both independently and in conjunction with the Tier 1 ships to secure maritime trade routes, northern approaches and escort military assets". They noted that the ships should be capable of operating a helicopter, be able to provide air defence "through a limited number of point and self-defence systems" and have the ability to attack targets on the land. Due to the deteriorating material condition of the Anzac-class frigates, the panel also recommended that the new ships be rapidly acquired. [4]

The Australian Government accepted these recommendations, and announced as part of its response that eleven general purpose frigates would be built in order to "address the risk presented by an ageing and increasingly fragile surface combatant fleet". [5] The government also agreed to reduce the number of Hunter-class frigates to be acquired from nine to six and to build six large optionally crewed surface vessels which will support the crewed warships. This will result in a fleet made up of nine 'Tier 1' warships (six Hunter-class frigates and three Hobart-class destroyers), with the general purpose frigates being among the navy's less capable 'Tier 2' warships. [6]

In order to bring the general purpose frigates into service as quickly as possible, the government intends for the first three ships in the class to be built overseas, with the remainder being constructed at the Australian Marine Complex in Western Australia. [3] [7] Under the plans announced in February 2024, the government will select a design for the new frigates in 2025 and construction will begin in 2026. [3] The first of the ships is planned to enter service by 2030. [7] In April 2024 the government committed between $A7 billion and $A10 billion between the 2024–25 and 2033–34 financial years for the general purpose frigates, though at this stage the funding was unapproved. [8]

Design

Possible designs

The independent review identified four designs as "combatant exemplars" and recommended that they "should form the basis of a deliberate selection process". The government agreed to this. [5] All four of these designs were under construction at the time for foreign navies. [3]

The designs are the: [7]

Based on these designs, it is likely that the general purpose frigates will have a displacement of between 3,000 and 5,000 tonnes. This is similar to the Anzac class, which have a displacement of 3,600 tonnes, and much smaller than the Hunter class which will displace 10,000 tonnes. The frigates will have at least 16 vertically launched missile cells, twice as many as the Anzac class. [3]

Selection

On 24 May 2024 the Department of Defence sent five shipbuilders an 'approach to market' asking them to provide information on their proposed designs and how the frigates would be built for the RAN. The companies were asked to provide this information within three weeks. [9] This covered the first three ships in the intended class only. The government intends to conduct a separate process to ask the companies for plans to build the remaining ships in Australia. The companies that were approached were Hanwha Ocean, Hyundai, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Navantia and TKMS. [10]

As part of the approach to market, it was specified that the designs that are submitted must be based closely on ships that are currently in service with foreign navies. The only changes that the Department of Defence stated it would accept are those which replace obsolete equipment. As a result, the ships will not be fitted with radars produced by the Australian company CEA Technologies, despite the government being the majority owner of the firm. [10]

Commentary

Australian Financial Review journalist Andrew Tillet has written that the ALFA3000 and Mogami 30FFM designs best meet the government's requirements. He argues that this is because the two shipbuilders (Navantia and Mitsubishi respectively) have experience integrating the American Aegis Combat System and American missiles. [3] Writing in the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, journalist Kym Bergmann argued that the panel had made a mistake by recommending both the Daegu class FFX Batch II and Batch III, as the two designs are quite different, and that the government was also mistaken in not identifying this error at the time it developed its response to the review. He argued that the Batch III is the only one of the two designs that meets the panel's specifications. [11] Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Euan Graham suggested in February 2024 that New Zealand might join the frigate program in order to replace the Royal New Zealand Navy's pair of Anzac-class frigates. [12]

Following the approach to market, Michael Shoebridge from the defence consulting firm Strategic Analysis Australia raised concerns about the project's management. He believes that rushing the selection of the ships could cause problems later in the project and that the reluctance to accept design changes might mean that the frigates do not meet the RAN's safety standards. [10]


See also

Related Research Articles

Type 26 frigate Frigate class being built for British Royal Navy

The Type 26 frigate, also known as City-class frigate, is a class of frigates being built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, with variants also being built for the Australian and Canadian navies. The programme, known as the Global Combat Ship, was launched by the British Ministry of Defence to partially replace the navy's thirteen Type 23 frigates, and for export. Its primary role is to conduct advanced anti-submarine warfare missions while supporting air defence and general purpose operations. The type is the first naval platform shared between Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom since the pre-Second World War Tribal-class destroyer.

<i>Anzac</i>-class frigate Australian military ship class

The Anzac class is a ship class of ten frigates; eight operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and two operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). During the 1980s, the RAN began plans to replace the River-class destroyer escorts with a mid-capability patrol frigate and settled on the idea of modifying a proven German design for Australian conditions. Around the same time, the RNZN was seeking to replace their Leander-class frigates while maintaining blue-water capabilities. A souring of relations between New Zealand and the United States of America in relation to New Zealand's nuclear-free zone and the ANZUS security treaty prompted New Zealand to seek improved ties with other nations, particularly Australia. As both nations were seeking warships of similar capabilities, the decision was made in 1987 to collaborate on their acquisition. The project name is taken from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of the First World War.

HMAS <i>Parramatta</i> (FFH 154) Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Parramatta is an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). One of ten warships built for the RAN and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) based on the MEKO 200 design, Parramatta was laid down in 1999, launched in 2003, and commissioned into the RAN in 2003. During her career, the frigate has been deployed to the Middle East on several occasions. In early 2015, Parramatta was docked to undergo the Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade. She completed these upgrades in April 2016.

HMAS <i>Anzac</i> (FFH 150) Anzac-class frigate of Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Anzac was the lead ship of the Anzac-class frigates in use with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Entering Australian service in 1996, the frigate operated as part of the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce in 1999. In 2003, she was involved in the Battle of Al Faw, and became the first RAN ship to fire in anger since the Vietnam War.

HMAS <i>Perth</i> (FFH 157) Anzac-class frigate of Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Perth is an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The last ship of the class to be completed, she was built by Tenix Defence and commissioned into the RAN in 2006. In 2007, Perth became the first major warship of the RAN to be commanded by a woman. During 2010 and 2011, the frigate was used as the testbed for a major upgrade to the Anzac class' ability to defend themselves from anti-ship missiles.

The Royal Australian Navy, although a significant force in the Asia-Pacific region, is nonetheless classed as a medium-sized navy. Its fleet is based around two main types of surface combatant, with limited global deployment and air power capability. However, in 2009, a white paper, Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030, was produced by the Australian government which set out a programme of defence spending that will see significant improvements to the RAN's fleet and capabilities. In recent times, Australia released its Surface Fleet Review in 2024, which analyses the future of the RAN and shows what the Government will procure.

Canadian Surface Combatant Royal Canadian Navy warship upgrade program

The Canadian Surface Combatant, formerly the Single Class Surface Combatant Project is the procurement project that will replace the Iroquois and Halifax-class warships with up to 15 new ships beginning in the mid to late 2020s as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.

<i>Arafura</i>-class offshore patrol vessel Class of patrol vessel

The Arafura class is a class of offshore patrol vessels being built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Initially proposed in the 2009 Defence White Paper and marked as procurement project SEA 1180, it was originally planned that 20 Offshore Combatant Vessels (OCV) would replace 26 vessels across four separate ship classes: the Armidale-class patrol boats, the Huon-class minehunters, the Leeuwin-class survey vessels, and the Paluma-class survey motor launches. Although having a common design, the ships would use a modular mission payload system to fulfill specific roles; primarily border patrol, mine warfare, and hydrographic survey. The 2013 Defence White Paper committed to the OCV project as a long-term goal, but opted in the short term for an accelerated procurement of an existing design to replace the Armidales, and life-extension refits for the other types. This resulted in the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) project and the number of vessels reduced to 12. However, this was further increased to 14 when 2 further Mine Counter Measures variants were proposed under SEA 1905.

<i>Incheon</i>-class frigate Class of South Korean guided-missile frigates

The Incheon-class frigates, also known as the Future Frigate eXperimental or FFX during development, are coastal defense frigates of the Republic of Korea Navy. The lead ship was launched on 29 April 2011. The Incheon-class frigates will replace the aging fleet of Pohang-class corvettes and Ulsan-class frigates, and take over multi-role operations such as coast patrol, anti-submarine warfare and transport support. Later batches are planned to be specialized on anti-air and anti-submarine warfare. An improved version is being introduced as the Daegu-class frigate; this was previously known as Batch II of the Incheon class.

ROKS <i>Incheon</i> (FFG-811) Incheon-class frigate

ROKS Incheon (FFG-811) is the lead ship of the Incheon-class frigate in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the city, Incheon.

ROKS <i>Gyeonggi</i> (FFG-812) Incheon-class frigate

ROKS Gyeonggi (FFG-812) is the second ship of the Incheon-class frigate in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the province, Gyeonggi.

ROKS <i>Jeonbuk</i> (FFG-813) Incheon-class frigate

ROKS Jeonbuk (FFG-813) is the third ship of the Incheon-class frigate in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the province, Jeonbuk.

ROKS Gangwon (FFG-815) is the fourth frigate of the Incheon-class in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the province of Gangwon.

ROKS Chungbuk (FFG-816) is the fifth ship of the Incheon-class frigate in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the province, Chungbuk.

ROKS Gwangju (FFG-817) is the sixth ship of the Incheon-class frigate in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the city, Gwangju.

Type 31 frigate Future frigate of the Royal Navy

The Type 31 frigate, also known as the Inspiration class, and formerly known as the Type 31e frigate or General Purpose Frigate (GPF), is a class of five frigates being built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, with variants also being built for the Indonesian and Polish navies. The Type 31 is intended to enter service in the 2020s alongside the eight submarine-hunting Type 26 frigate and will replace the five general-purpose Type 23 frigates. The Type 31 is part of the British government's "National Shipbuilding Strategy".

<i>Hunter</i>-class frigate Frigates for the Royal Australian Navy

The Hunter-class frigate is a future class of six heavy frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to replace the Anzac class.

<i>Daegu</i>-class frigate Ship class

The Daegu-class frigate is a class of guided missile frigates of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). The Daegu class is based on the preceding Incheon class, and has otherwise been referred to as the Incheon class batch II, or FFG-II. Eight Daegu-class ships have been commissioned, with the final goal of 20–22 frigates, of all types, in the ROKN. The Daegu-class frigates were built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

ROKS <i>Gyeongnam</i> (FFG-819) Daegu-class frigate

ROKS Gyeongnam (FFG-819) is the second ship of the Daegu-class frigate in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the place, Gyeongnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface Fleet Review</span> Australian Government program to outline the future of the Navy

The Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Review is an independent review into the surface fleet of the Royal Australian Navy, authorised as a result of the larger Defence Strategic Review. The review examines the future of the RAN, and attempts to reconcile what has been a period of 'neglection' of the Navy. The review was announced to the public on 20 February 2024 by Minister for Defence and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, as well as Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Tillett, Andrew (18 February 2024). "Navy needs more ships faster to meet China threat: review". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Enhanced lethality: Surface Combatant Fleet". APO. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tillett, Andrew (21 February 2024). "Europe v Asia in race for Australia's new warships". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Hilarides, Huxtable & Mayer 2024, p. 9.
  5. 1 2 Marles 2024, p. 16.
  6. ↑ Blenkin, Max (20 February 2024). "Plans revealed for Australia's future surface fleet". Australian Defence Magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Dougherty, Robert (20 February 2024). "Australia commits to modern and lethal general purpose frigates". Defence Connect. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  8. ↑ 2024 Integrated Investment Program. Canberra: Department of Defence. 2024. p. 36. ISBN   978-1-925890-89-1.
  9. ↑ Dougherty, Robert (28 May 2024). "Quick-turnaround: Shipbuilders ready opening pitch for General Purpose Frigates". Defence Connect. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Tillett, Andrew (26 May 2024). "Questions surface over fast-tracked $10b warships". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  11. ↑ Bergmann, Kym (9 April 2024). "Australian government bungles future frigate choices". Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  12. ↑ Graham, Euan (22 February 2024). "Australia's 'tier-2' naval expansion opens the door for the Anzac frigate redux". The Strategist. Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Retrieved 21 April 2024.

Works consulted

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.