BAE Systems Maritime Australia has laid the keel for the Royal Australian Navy’s first Hunter-class frigate at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
BAE Systems Maritime Australia has laid the keel for the Royal Australian Navy’s first Hunter-class frigate at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
The keel-laying ceremony marks a major assembly milestone for the NUSHIP Hunter, which comes more than two years after construction officially began in June 2024.
The lead vessel is one of six Hunter-class frigates that Australia tasked BAE Systems Maritime Australia, formerly known as ASC Shipbuilding, to build in-country before their scheduled commissioning in the early 2030s.
David Shepherd, Managing Director of BAE Systems Australia – Surface Ships, said the frigate program would “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.”
Hunter-Class Frigates
Based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 Global Combat Ship design, the Hunter-class frigates are modified to meet the Australian Navy’s requirements.
Among the design changes are incorporating an Aegis combat management system with an Australian interface, a domestically designed and built CEAFAR2 phased array radar, and integration of the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.
Hunter-class frigates are designed to take on a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, air defense, surveillance and intelligence, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Each 151.4-meter (497-foot) warship has a 20.8-meter (68-foot) beam and features a combined diesel electric or gas propulsion system.
It can achieve speeds exceeding 27 knots (50 kilometers/31 miles per hour) and travel at ranges of 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 kilometers/8,055 miles).
The first three warships have been named after major Australian regions: HMAS Hunter, HMAS Flinders, and HMAS Tasman. Names for the remaining three frigates have not yet been disclosed.
Frigate Systems and Components
Hunter-class frigates are constructed with Australian-made steel from Melbourne-based company BlueScope Steel, which signed a five-year deal with BAE Systems in November 2025.
Last year, several companies secured contracts to provide systems for the Australian frigates, namely, L3Harris’ Integrated Platform Management System, Babcock’s lift and hoist systems, and STS Defence’s configurable communication masts.
Bohemia Interactive Simulations is also providing its Virtual Battlespace software for the frigate program, while Ultra Maritime will supply torpedo defense technologies.
