This Australian Department of Defence graphic outlines some of the core capabilities required in its future general purpose frigates. (Commonwealth of Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has shortlisted Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) from Germany to progress designs for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) programme to procure future general purpose frigates.
The DoD said on 25 November that in selecting a winner for the AUD10 billion (USD6.5 billion) contract it will co-operate with the two shipbuilders and their Australian industry partners to further develop proposals for their respective designs. MHI is bidding with a modernised design of its Mogami-class frigate and tkMS has offered its MEKO A-200 design.
Under the programme, the DoD intends to build the first three of 11 planned frigates in the country of the winning bidder. The remainder will be constructed by Australian industry at the government's Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
“[The DoD] will engage closely with the downselected shipbuilders to progress this programme and ensure Australia's first general purpose frigate is delivered this decade,” the DoD said.
“The decision to progress the Mogami and MEKO A-200 designs was informed by a rigorous evaluation by [the DoD] that identified these designs as likely to best meet Australia's capability requirements,” the DoD added.
The selected design – procured under the DoD's Project Sea 3000 programme – will replace the RAN's Anzac-class frigates. According to the DoD, the new frigates will be “equipped for undersea warfare and local air defence in order to secure maritime trade routes and our northern approaches”.
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