Risks stalk Australia’s Hunter class
The Hunter class will be an extremely capable warship, but few major Australian procurement projects start smoothly. (RAN)
It is common for large Australian military procurements to go awry, but officials remain upbeat about progress on its new frigates.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has a spotty record when it comes to fully revealing the status of procurement programmes, a case in point being the Attack-class submarine. There are persistent reports about issues with Hunter-class frigates too.
Nine frigates are being built by BAE Systems Australia, with the Department of Defence deciding last year to push the project back by 18 months.
Added to this were findings from a 36-page Engineering Team Assessment prepared by the Department of Defence in November 2021. Leaked to The Australian on 1 February 2022, the report warned of risks
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Outgoing US Navy Secretary names a host of vessels among his last actions in the role]()
Outgoing US Navy Secretary names a host of vessels among his last actions in the role
The outgoing US Secretary of the Navy named destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers during his last weeks in office.
-
![Can retrofitted autonomy support cash-strapped navies?]()
Can retrofitted autonomy support cash-strapped navies?
Autonomous vessels can reduce risk to the lives of naval personnel, but could retrofitting be a faster, cheaper option?
-
![South Korea receives first Batch-III frigate and issues contracts for other vessels]()
South Korea receives first Batch-III frigate and issues contracts for other vessels
South Korea is moving ahead at speed with its frigate programme, involving both domestic heavy-hitting shipbuilders.
-
![UK-Japan meeting resolves details of Carrier Group operations]()
UK-Japan meeting resolves details of Carrier Group operations
As joint military training begins between the UK and Japan, a meeting of defence ministers plans details of a Carrier Group deployment later in the year.
-
![Spanish F-110 frigate’s new SPY-7 radar achieves successful track, keeping launch on schedule]()
Spanish F-110 frigate’s new SPY-7 radar achieves successful track, keeping launch on schedule
The SPY-7 radar will undergo testing and calibration down to its component level before it is handed over to the Spanish Navy.
