Hunter Class Frigate

The Hunter Class Frigate Project (HCFP) is a multi-billion dollar program with the Government having approved the initial budget of $6 billion for the design activity to incorporate the Australian requirements, to conduct prototyping of ship blocks in the new shipyard under construction at Osborne in South Australia, and to order long-lead items for the first three ships. The HCFP will provide the Australian Defence Force with the highest levels of anti-submarine capability, and will set in place continuous naval shipbuilding as outlined in the Defence White Paper of 2016 and the Naval Shipbuilding Plan of 2017. It will secure Australian jobs and further invest in Australian defence industry to build and sustain the industry capability needed to design and construct our major warships over the decades to come. Initial Operating Capability for the first of class HMAS Hunter is expected to be achieved by 2031.