Saab Australia has been selected by BAE Systems to be part of a team, including Lockheed Martin Australia, to deliver the combat system integration for the Hunter class frigate.
Artist impression of the future Type 26 / GCS Australia / Hunter-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy.
This selection continues a long standing and successful partnership on defence projects in Australia and is an important first step in work that will endure for the life of the Hunter class frigate programme. At this stage no contract has been signed.
Artist impression of the future Type 26 / GCS Australia / Hunter-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy.
“The fact that BAE Systems Australia has selected Saab as partner is further proof of our world-class combat system integration capabilities. The extensive skills and experience that we bring to this project will complement those of BAE Systems”, says Anders Carp, head of Saab’s business area Surveillance.
Scale model of BAE Systems Type 26 design for SEA5000 at Pacific 2017
Since the Australian Government announcement in October 2017, mandating Saab’s 9LV combat management system across the Royal Australian Navy fleet, Saab Australia has grown its workforce by more than 25 percent and expanded its graduate employment program. Today’s decision further contributes to the development of an Australian sovereign combat systems capability that will underpin the Commonwealth’s continuous naval shipbuilding strategy.
Artist impression of the future Type 26 / GCS Australia / Hunter-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy.
The Global Combat Ship – Australia is based on BAE Systems’ Type 26 frigate, one of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warships, which the Company is currently constructing in Glasgow for the Royal Navy. Once contracted, the new ships, to be called the Hunter class, will be built in South Australia by an Australian workforce, using Australian suppliers from every state and territory.
Capability – The Hunter class
Following a rigorous and comprehensive Competitive Evaluation Process, the Government has assessed BAE’s Global Combat Ship - Australia as the capability best suited for our nation.
The Hunter class will provide the Australian Defence Force with the highest levels of lethality and deterrence our major surface combatants need in periods of global uncertainty.
The Hunter class will have the capability to conduct a variety of missions independently, or as part of a task group, with sufficient range and endurance to operate effectively throughout the region.
The frigates will also have the flexibility to support non-warfare roles such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Incorporating the leading edge Australian-developed CEA Phased-Array Radar and the US Navy’s Aegis combat management system, with an Australian interface developed by Saab Australia, the Hunter class will be one of the most capable warships in the world.
