HMAS Tasman

Type 26 frigate
History
Australia
Name	Tasman
Namesake	Abel Tasman
Ordered	21 June 2024
Builder	BAE Systems Australia, Osborne
Cost	AU$3.9 billion
Identification	Pennant number:
Status	Ordered
General characteristics
Type	Hunter-class frigate
Displacement	8,800 t (8,700 long tons; 9,700 short tons) full load displacement
Length	151.4 m (497 ft)
Beam	21.4 m (70 ft)
Propulsion	CODLOG configuration 1 × Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine 4 × MTU Type 20V 4000 M53B high-speed diesel generators 2 × electric motors
Speed	27+ knots
Range	7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) in electric motor drive
Complement	180 personnel, with accommodation for 208
Sensors & processing systems	Command & Control: Aegis combat system Saab 9LV tactical interface Surveillance & Weapon Sensors: CEA Technologies CEAFAR2 phased array radar CEAFAR-L L-band long range surveillance radar CEAFAR-S S-band multi-function radar CEAMOUNT fire control illuminator Underwater Warfare Systems Ultra S2150 hull-mounted sonar Thales Sonar 2087 towed array and variable depth sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	Nulka decoy launchers
Armament	Missiles: 2 x 4-canister advanced anti-ship missiles 32 Mark 41 Vertical Launch System firing: RIM-66 Standard 2 RIM-162 ESSM Torpedoes: MU90 Impact torpedoes Guns: 1 × 5-inch 54 calibre Mark 45 Mod 4 dual purpose gun 2 × 30mm short-range gun systems 2 × 20mm Phalanx CIWS
Aircraft carried	1 × MH-60R ‘Romeo’ Seahawk armed with: 2 × Mk 54 MAKO Torpedo 4 × AGM-114 Hellfire
Aviation facilities	Large Chinook capable flight deck Enclosed hangar Facilities for UAVs
Notes	Flexible Mission Bay: Rolls-Royce Mission Bay Handling System 2nd helicopter (MH-60R) 4 x 11m RHIB 10 x 20 foot containers UAVs and UUVs

HMAS Tasman (FFG) is the third planned ship of the Hunter-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy. She will be a heavy frigate capable of anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-ship and land-attack warfare, integrating the Aegis Combat System with a suite of missiles including Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and a variety of anti-air weapons such as the SM-6 terminal anti-ballistic missile. Tasman is yet to begin construction, with her commissioning expected sometime after 2032.

Development and design

The Hunter-class frigate is a future class of frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to replace the Anzac-class. Construction is expected to begin in 2020, with the first of nine vessels to enter service in the late 2020s. The program is expected to cost AU$35 billion and a request for tender was released in March 2017 to three contenders: Navantia, Fincantieri, and BAE Systems as part of a competitive evaluation process.

The Hunter-class frigate will be an Australian variation of the Type 26 frigate that is to be operated by the Royal Navy from the mid-2020s. The class will have a 8,800-tonne (8,700-long-ton; 9,700-short-ton) full load displacement and will be approximately 150 metres (490 ft) in length. The vessel will be capable of sailing in excess of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) and will have a full complement of 180 crew.

Construction and career

Tasman was ordered on 30 June 2018 (that is, the BAE Systems proposal for new Australian frigates was accepted then) and named after explorer Abel Tasman. She will be built by BAE Systems Australia in Osborne. The contract was signed on 21 June 2024.

References