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| Navantia's F-100: Currently being built as the Hobart class (AWD) Destroyer and proposed for the Future ASW Frigate |
Nigel Pittaway
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian Defence Minister Senator Marise Payne has announced that proposals from BAE Systems, Fincantieri and Navantia have been shortlisted for the country’s program to build nine new frigates for the Royal Australian Navy.
The BAE Systems Global Combat Ship, based on the Type 26 frigate; Fincantieri’s anti-submarine warfare FREMM (Fregata Europea Multi-Missione) and a redesigned version of Navantia’s Álvaro de Bazán (F100) class vessel are vying for the $35 billion (US $27 billion) program.
The ships will be built in Adelaide, South Australia, with the first steel expected to be cut in 2020 and will be fitted with phased array radar systems being developed by Australia’s CEA Technologies.
The shortlist marks first-pass approval of Australia’s Future Frigate program (Project Sea 5000) and the ongoing competitive evaluation process (CEP) is expected to select a winning design, marking second pass approval, in 2018.
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