Then slice it in half laterally so the hull and propulsion systems – the ‘float and move’ elements – remain in the bottom half, and the combat system, weapons and radar system – the ‘sense and fight’ parts – are in the top half.
The ability to manage the ship in two halves over its life is the genius of the Global Combat Ship – a highly capable and versatile warship designed to support anti-submarine warfare, air defence and general purpose operations.
In the UK, BAE Systems is building a fleet of frigates known as the Type 26, Canada will build the Canadian Surface Combatants, while in South Australia, at the Osborne Naval Shipyard, we will build the Hunter class frigates.
Three nations, each using the same reference ship design – the Global Combat Ship – to build a fleet of formidable warships with the ‘sense and fight’ half tailored to meet the requirements of their navies.
The Hunter class frigates will feature the same acoustically-quiet hull and propulsion systems as the Global Combat Ship, giving them the low-noise signature they need to stealthily patrol the ocean.
The Global Combat Ship’s modular digital design and systems architecture is supporting the integration of the Australian modifications, including the US Navy’s Aegis combat management system – produced by Lockheed Martin and with an Australian interface developed by Saab Australia – and the CEA radar and specific guided weapons, electronic warfare and aviation systems.
The modular design will also facilitate through-life support and upgrades as new technologies develop – technologies that haven’t even been invented yet.
A phrase engineers like to use – ‘spiral design’ – neatly encapsulates the structured way in which the extraordinary amount of work that is invested in designing a ship is delivered.
During that process engineers go through a design spiral which involves making initial estimates on things such as buoyancy, weight, electrical power, combat systems space, accommodation space, engine rooms, and crew requirements, progressively evolving the complex systems that make up the design of the ship.
For a completely new vessel this design spiral can take several years. The benefit of the Global Combat Ship is that this extended design process doesn’t need to be followed for the unchanged elements of the vessel.
Similarly, if a problem is found with the unchanged elements within one program, the problem can be solved once for all three programs, not three times.
I like to think of the Hunter class frigate as the Swiss army knife of the sea: its primary purpose – to sense, detect and deter submarines – gives it the name ‘Hunter’, but each frigate is capable of much more than that.
Capable of operating independently or in a naval task group, each frigate is designed to provide the Royal Australian Navy maximum versatility and flexibility in operational roles, from humanitarian and disaster relief operations to high-intensity warfare.
Three navies with the same platform supports interoperability with knowledge sharing and future sustainment opportunities, and the potential for greater cooperation into the future. Each national program is already benefitting from lessons learned and knowledge exchange during the design and construction phases; for example, after seeing the state-of-the-art Osborne shipyard in action, with its automated equipment and innovations delivering efficiencies, quality and safety improvements, the UK is incorporating some of the same features in its processes and infrastructure.
Which bring us back to the genius of the Global Combat Ship: a design with evolution built in, providing a fit-for-fight capability well into the future. As an island nation, there is no question Australia needs to boost its maritime presence – and Hunter is a key part of that.
