Australia Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Australia Cuts Steel On Its First Hunter-Class Frigate​

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Australia's future Hunter-class of frigates took a significant step forward today, when BAE Systems cut steel on the first of six vessels at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, South Australia.





Hunter-class frigate specifications:
Displacement: 8,800 t full load
Length: 151.4 m (496 ft 9 in)
Beam: 21.4 m (70 ft 3 in)
Propulsion: CODLOG configuration
Speed: 27+ knots
Range: 7,000 nautical miles
Complement: 180 sailors (accommodation for 208)

Australia accelerates army's medium landing craft project​

A project to acquire 18 medium landing craft for the Australian Army is being accelerated, the country's Department of Defence (DoD) disclosed in a statement on 23 July.

The project will cost AUD2 billion (USD1.3 billion), and the first vessel under the programme, which will be built by Austal at its Henderson facility, is expected to be delivered in 2026, the statement added.

Australia is acquiring 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel – Medium (LMV-M) craft under the country's project Land 8710 Phase 1.

These vessels will replace the Australian Army's fleet of 15 LCM-8s that are presently operated by the service's 35th Water Transport Squadron.

This was the closest thread I could think of. NZ ship HMNZS sink of the coast of Samoa. The crew of 75 were all rescued. Fire was the likely cause of the sinking.

The list of contenders for Australia's new general purpose frigate program (not to be confused with the disastrously ill-conceived truncated but ongoing Hunter-class frigate program which was opened for tender during the Obama administration and is expected to bear its first fruit during the fourth Trump administration) has been narrowed from four to two, with Spanish and Korean proposals eliminated whilst Japan's evolved Mogami and Germany's MEKO A-200 design remain under consideration, with a decision expected next year.

The current plan is for eleven frigates, with at least the first three to be constructed overseas for expedited delivery from 2029, and the remainder in Western Australia.

For months Defence has studied offerings from South Korea's Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

On Thursday evening multiple sources told the ABC that cabinet's National Security Committee (NSC) had this week chosen Japan's upgraded Mogami 30FFM and Germany's MEKO A-200 as the final two designs ahead of a final selection next year.

Germany's MEKO A-200 is a modern version of the navy's Anzac frigate and has a modular design that can easily accommodate Australian requirements and is likely to be considerably cheaper than Japan’s initial proposed price. The latest version of Mogami frigate is widely considered one of the world's leading warship designs, and although Japan is growing strategically more important for the Australian military, the nation has minimal naval export experience.

Earlier this year Chief of Navy Vice-Admiral Mark Hammond praised Japan's shipbuilding capacity, but many others in the service favour sticking with German-built vessels, which Australia is already more familiar with.

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News about the AS9 Huntsman 155mm SPH program for the Australian Army.

redion said:

News about the AS9 Huntsman 155mm SPH program for the Australian Army.

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I see disturbing lack of cope cage. That is how you know it is a clueless design.

Just got to say... lol

The rocket launchers are probably LAWs. Wonder if any of them would still bang given that they were stolen 20 years ago.

More FAFO from the RAAF, and of course the spineless Aussie press spin.

17 February 2025

The 23rd Australia-China Defence Strategic Dialogue was held today in Beijing, China.
The Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Robert Chipman AO CSC, and Deputy Secretary Strategy, Policy and Industry Group, Hugh Jeffrey, led the Australian delegation. General Xu Qiling, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department, led China’s delegation.
The Dialogue is a senior officials’ meeting between the Department of Defence and China’s People’s Liberation Army. Prime Minister Albanese and Premier Li Qiang agreed to resume the Dialogue during the Annual Leaders’ Meeting in 2024. The Dialogue was last held in 2019.

At today’s Dialogue, both countries exchanged views on bilateral, global and regional security issues, as well as military transparency and communication.
Australia reiterated the importance of all countries in the region operating in a safe and professional manner at all times to avoid the risk of miscalculation or escalation.
Australia underscored the importance of adherence to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the comprehensive legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas.
Australia affirmed the importance of all countries acting in a manner that respects sovereignty and upholds peace, security and stability.

Australian, Japanese and American refuelling aircraft have joined forces to feed thirsty fast jets in the skies above Guam.

As part of Exercise Cope North, a task force of 10 tankers, including a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, have refuelled 64 fighter jets from the three nations.

The biggest test of working together, however, was the two-week period known as the large force employment (LFE).

Over the LFE, the KC-30A had more than 100 visits to its refuelling strobes and boom, sharing more than 300 tonnes of fuel and sustaining 240 fast-jet flying hours. This is the equivalent effort of flying a 737 from Sydney to Melbourne, 80 times.