SEA 5000 Future Frigate
The White Paper Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030 released on 02 May 2009, stated that the Government will acquire a fleet of eight new Future Frigates, which will be larger than the Anzac class vessels. This new project SEA 5000 will introduce into service the next generation of naval surface combatants that will have a strong emphasis on anti-submarine warfare and be capable of independent and task group operations. This is likely to be an ACAT I Program and Defence will commence work on developing this project for Government consideration beyond 2019.
The race to win a multi-billion-dollar contract to build eight naval frigates bega hours after the plan was announced in the defence white paper. States and defense companies were jostling, despite warnings from defence experts that the project would be years away, even if money could be found to pay for it. Those choices will not be made by the present Government, certainly not in this term of government and not even in the next term - by some estimates it is at least 20 years away in terms of delivering ships.
The ADF of 2030 will need to be a more potent force in certain areas, particularly anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and surface maritime warfare (including air defence at sea). The major new direction that has emerged through consideration of current and future requirements is a significant focus on enhancing maritime capabilities. By the mid-2030s, Australia will have a more potent and heavier maritime force. The Government intends to replace and expand the current fleet of six Collins class with a more capable class of submarine, replace the current Anzac class frigate with a more capable Future Frigate optimised for ASW to replace the current Anzac-class frigate. There is a need to do something about ship numbers with the retirement of the FFGs from service and the ANZAC class reaching end-of-life within the planning period.
The Future Frigate will be designed and equipped with a strong emphasis on submarine detection and response operations. The Future Frigate will be designed and equipped with a strong emphasis on submarine detection and response operations. They will be equipped with an integrated sonar suite that includes a long-range active towed-array sonar, and be able to embark a combination of naval combat helicopters and maritime Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) although there will inevitably be questions about the extent of afloat support that each shipcan provide for these aviation assets over an extended period.
Developments in warship design will help to shape the future of RAN capability, doctrine and training. Stealth technology is being progressively incorporated into naval units of all sizes, and future RAN warship designs will take such features into consideration. Unconventional hull forms, such as multi-hulls, are also under development, and the RAN's experience of operating the fast catamaran HMAS Jervis Bay (II) during the East Timor operations between 1999-2001 will be incorporated into future design considerations. Advanced propulsion systems will also need to be assessed and their benefits carefully evaluated in forthcoming projects for the replacement of major RAN capabilities.
Given the increasing emphasis on the security of national and international shipping and cargoes, future warships need to be designed with escort and interdiction duties in mind. RAN warships must be able to keep pace with merchant ships, especially the faster vessels such as container and passenger ships, and to manoeuvre around such ships. This will influence the design of hulls and propulsion systems. Warship design and acquisition processes will become leaner and faster with potential advantages arising from greater flexibility to meet the demands of specific operations, reduced research and development timeframes, and the increasing use of commercially available technologies. The fundamental differences between the design of warships and commercial shipping, especially in areas such as survivability, will remain a challenge.
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