Australia BAE Assembles Steel Block Prototype for Australia’s First Hunter-Class Frigate

[TR_123456]

An artist's impression of the Hunter-class frigate. Photo: Australian Government Department of Defence

BAE Systems Australia has completed the first steel block prototype of a Hunter-class frigate for the Royal Australian Navy.


The block, which equals the size of two average Australian houses (452 square meters/4,900 square feet), was constructed at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia as part of the Hunter Class Frigate Program.


The steel block, dubbed “Block 16,” is one of five prototypes the firm will produce to test tools, systems, facilities, and processes before beginning construction of the vessel. The actual frigate model consists of 22 blocks.

Block 16 prototype for Hunter-class frigate. Photo: BAE Systems

Ship construction experts, including boiler makers, engineers, fabricators, welders, and project managers, came together to build the 140-ton (140,000 kilograms) prototype segment.


By 2023, BAE Systems Australia will produce more ship blocks to incorporate changes for future Hunter-class frigates. One of the first three ships (HMA Hunter, HMA Flinders II, and HMA Tasman) will use these modified blocks as its actual parts.


“Throughout construction of the first prototype ship block, our highly-skilled workforce has been able to incorporate new, more efficient and effective ship-build methods and innovations into our processes,” BAE Systems Australia Maritime Managing Director Craig Lockhart said.

BAE Assembles Steel Block Prototype for Australia’s First Hunter-Class Frigate

BAE Systems Australia has completed the first steel block prototype of a Hunter-class frigate for the Royal Australian Navy.

www.thedefensepost.com

 

[Lordimperator]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1631943142487334912

 

[avonsabre]

Have any further blocks been completed to this time?

 

[oldcpu]

There is a recent short article in European Security & Defence ( https://euro-sd.com/2024/11/major-news/41333/chess-dynamics-seaeagle-fcro/ ) on UK fire-control 'specialist' company "Chess Dynamics" presenting its latest version of the "Sea Eagle FCRO fire control and electro-optical system" at a Euronavaval 2024 exhibition.

The Royal Australian Navy Hunter Class type-26 frigates are purportedly procuring the Chess Dynamics SeaEagle FCEO electro-optical system - and one could speculate that this is the version that they are intended to procure.

That article notes:

SeaEagle FCRO is designed to provide live geo-co-ordinates of both air and surface targets to the combat management system of the warship, allowing precision targeting of naval guns and other weapons against air, surface and shore targets at ranges up to 30 km. Specifically SeaEagle FCRO has been designed to address the threat of small, fast, incoming targets and provide precision targeting for guns equipped with modern smart munitions.