HMAS Hunter

The Hunter-class frigate is a future class of frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), partly to replace the Anzac-class and as a supplement to Hobart-class destroyers. Construction was expected to begin in 2020, with the first of nine vessels to enter service in the late 2020s.^[7] The Program is expected to cost AU$35 billion and a request for tender was released in March 2017 to three contenders: Navantia, Fincantieri, and BAE Systems as part of a competitive evaluation process.^[8]

The Hunter-class frigate will be an Australian variation of the Type 26 class frigate that is to be operated by the Royal Navy from the mid-2020s. The class will have a 8,800-tonne (8,700-long-ton; 9,700-short-ton) full load displacement and will be approximately 150 metres (490 ft) in length. The vessel will be capable of sailing in excess of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) and will have a full complement of 180 crew.^[9][3]

Hunter was ordered on 30 June 2018 and named after Vice Admiral John Hunter. She will be built by BAE Systems Australia in Osborne.^[10] First steel was cut on prototype blocks in December 2021.^[11] The first steel that will actually be used in Hunter was cut in June 2024.^[12] The ship had been expected to be commissioned in 2031^[13] but is only projected to be operational in 2034.^[14]