When the final Hunter-class frigate is delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in the early 2040s, Australia will have one of the largest fleets of surface combatants outside the United States Navy equipped with Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System.

Since ADM last analysed the Navy’s Hunter-class frigate program in our October 2021 issue, the project has achieved some significant milestones but also received stinging criticism in mainstream media in the wake of a leaked engineering report.

Essential services provider Ventia Australia will take on the role of Operator and Facilities Manager for the Common User Facility at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson.

The Royal Australian Navy publicly launched its Navy Mastery programme at Indo Pacific last week, aimed at developing a modern, flexible and innovative approach to its training and development continuum.

Defence’s new approach to sustaining the Navy’s growing fleet was officially launched at the Sea Power 2022 conference last week. The new program is called Horizon 3 and is part of Plan Galileo.

A&P Australia (Atlantic & Peninsula) and Naval Ship Management (NSM, a Babcock Australasia company) have announced an agreement to collaborate on large ship sustainment opportunities on the east coast of Australia.

The SeaWolf pilot project will develop a demonstrator 12m Autonomous Underwater Vessel (AUV) and existing technologies by early 2023.

BAE Systems has secured a $50 million export contract to deliver critical hardware and software sub-assemblies into the global Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) program.

QinetiQ Australia have successfully had their contract extended to provide mine warfare equipment and support services to the ADF at HMAS Waterhen.

ASC has signed a $66 million contract with Eptec Group for blast and paint services to be carried out during Collins Class Full Cycle Dockings in Adelaide as part of a six-year agreement.

BAE Systems Australia has contracted Score Australasia to supply and test valves for the first three Hunter class frigates.

The death of the Attack class reveals multiple efforts from within the Government to undermine its own defence programs and pin the blame on industry.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has confirmed the purchase of Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 capability for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The US Navy has awarded a US$230.5 (A$324.6) million contract to Austal USA for the detail design and construction of its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship.

Anduril Industries and Defence are entering into commercial negotiations for a US$100m co-funded program for Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (XL-AUVs) for the Royal Australian Navy.

Defence has selected the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter uncrewed aerial vehicle to undergo a single source procurement process for the initial block of a $1.3 billion three-block maritime unmanned aircraft systems program for the RAN.