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Warship

Australia In development

BAE Systems Australia

Hunter-class

Australia's future anti-submarine warfare frigate, a locally built derivative of the UK Type 26 design fitted with the Australian CEAFAR2 radar and Aegis combat system. Nine ships are planned to replace the Anzac-class frigates from the early 2030s.

Planned service entry 2031 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

8,800

7,000

nmi

VLS

180

crew

Pricing: Program cost estimated at over AUD 45 billion for 9 ships

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Australia export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Development status

Limited · 1 operator

Planned service entry 2031. Status: announced.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

Mk 41 VLS-class

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	127 mm Mk 45 naval gun
VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship, a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.	32 Stronger than 52% of warships
Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).	6 Stronger than 70% of warships

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	149.9 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Naval specifications
Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes, the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.	8,800 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.	27 kn Stronger than 35% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.	7,000 nmi Stronger than 64% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.	180
Aircraft carried Embarked aircraft/helicopters. Higher extends the ship’s sensor and strike reach.	1 Stronger than 21% of warships
Propulsion plant Machinery type, nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.	CODLOG (gas turbine + electric motors + diesel generators)

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors & avionics specifications
Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.	CEAFAR2 AESA

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	0 Bottom 5% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems Australia and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

Warship

Hunter-class Amiral Ronarc'h-class Frigate (FDI)

Naval Group Amiral Ronarc'h-class Frigate (FDI)

View Amiral Ronarc'h-class Frigate (FDI) ↗

Warship

Hunter-class Alvaro de Bazan class (F100)

Navantia Alvaro de Bazan class (F100)

View Alvaro de Bazan class (F100) ↗

Warship

Hunter-class Bonifaz class (F110)

Navantia Bonifaz class (F110)

View Bonifaz class (F110) ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is the main armament of the BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class? +

The BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class's primary weapon is the 127 mm Mk 45 naval gun.

What is the BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class used for? +

The BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class is a warship typically used for anti ship, air defense.

How many countries operate the BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class? +

The BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class cost? +

BAE Systems Australia Hunter-class: Program cost estimated at over AUD 45 billion for 9 ships. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.