Steel was cut on the first of six Hunter class frigates, the future HMAS Hunter, by the Minister for Defence and Premier of South Australia during a ceremony on 21 June. The physical milestone at Osborne was enabled by the signing of a build contract for the first three Hunter class frigates.
The first Hunter-class frigate is expected to be operational in 2034 according to Defence.
Steel cutting on ship one comes six years after BAE Systems Australia was selected to build what was then nine frigates as part of Project Sea 5000 in 2018.
Defence then entered into a design and productionisation contract with BAE Systems Australia worth $1.9 billion to develop the design of the ship and prepare it for construction.
In 2022, Defence agreed to extend the design and productionisation contract by up-to 18 months to enable the design to mature. As part of the extension, Defence also agreed to the construction of three additional prototype blocks for the Hunter-class, all which will be integrated into one of the first three ships.
As of 21 June 2024 the total value of the design and productionisation contract had grown to $3.4 billion according to AusTender data.
Defence hasn't yet disclosed the price of the batch one build contract. In response to questions about the contract value, Defence directed ADM to the Integrated Investment Plan (IIP), which states that there is a total planned investment of $22-32 billion into the program over the decade out to 2034.
The construction phase of the Hunter Class Frigate Program will run for 20 years according to Defence.
“This first milestone is not just about cutting steel; we are supporting Australian workers to build frigates in an Australian yard, supporting Australian industry," said the Minister for Defence, Richard Marles.