F100 visits Sydney
(click to view full)

The Royal Australian Navy took a pair of giant steps toward its future force in June of 2007, when it selected winning designs for 2 new Canberra Class LHD amphibious operations vessels, and 3 new Hobart Class air warfare destroyers.

Australia’s ANZAC Class (Meko 200 derivative) and Adelaide Class (FFG-7 Adelaide Class) frigates have limited air defense capabilities. They would be hard-pressed to survive against modern anti-ship missiles, and even planned ANZAC upgrades would not make them suitable for protecting a task force. Under the SEA 4000 program, Australia plans to replace its retired air defense destroyers with a modern system that can provide significantly increased protection from air attack for troops being transported and deployed, integrate with the US Navy and other Coalition partners, offer long-range air warfare defense for Royal Australian Navy task groups, and help provide a coordinated air picture for fighter and surveillance aircraft. Despite their name and focus, the ships are multi-role designs with a “sea control” mission that includes advanced anti-submarine and surface warfare capabilities.

After a long campaign that supported the creation and detailed evaluation of 2 fleshed out designs, the A$ 8 billion program has a winner. To the surprise of some observers, Australia’s 3 new “air warfare destroyers” will be… ‘Australianized’ F100 AEGIS frigates. Spain’s Navantia made an A$ 11 billion clean sweep, winning both the Canberra Class LHD and the Hobart Class Air Warfare “Destroyer” contracts. The new AWD ships were scheduled to begin entering service with the Royal Australian Navy in 2013, but that date has now slipped to 2014-2015.

This DID FOCUS Article explains the details of the SEA 4000 program, offers some details re: the winning design plus the losing “Evolved DDG-51” option, and covers the contracts and key events to date. Recent events include a request for AEGIS and cooperative Engagement equipment…

• SEA 4000: The Design Competition
• SEA 4000: The Program
• SEA 4000: Contracts & Key Events
• Appendix A: SEA 4000 Program Phase Organization
• Appendix B: Additional Readings & Sources

Get the rest of this story by signing up for the Defense Industry Insider - the military acquisition knowledge base that's updated daily. Your choice of monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription starting from less than $46 per month.

• Follow the 80/20 rule and save time
• Don't miss important facts
• Get the big picture, quickly
• Eliminate your blindspots
• Stay on top of new and forthcoming events

• Ability to conduct complex searches
• Procurement and doctrine issues
• Timeline of past and future program events
• Links to other useful resources
• Instant content access after payment

"Well written, interesting daily with information not readily available elsewhere...! You handle it with aplomb!" - a defense contractor CEO

Already a member? Login

Login to your DII account

Email
Password
Remember me
Lost your password?