The National Security Committee (NSC) of Cabinet has reportedly downselected ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as finalists in the ongoing competition to build the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet of future frigates.
Both companies were selected to compete for the General Purpose Frigate (GPF) effort by the Independent Analysis into Navy's Surface Combatant Fleet.
The GPF program - known with Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group as Project Sea 3000 - will deliver 11 frigates to the RAN that will be capable of operating a helicopter, defending themselves against limited air and missile threats, operating a towed array sonar in concert with lightweight torpedos, and the ability to undertake force protection, maritime strike and land strike missions.
The winning design of the MEKO A200 and Mogami will be selected in 2025 ahead of construction commencing overseas in 2026. Three ships will be built overseas, with the first arriving in Australia by 2029, before construction pivots to Australian yards for the final eight.
ADM understands that the initial proposals were evaluated in order of their ability to commence construction in 2026, their ability to transfer the design to Australia, their ability to be maintained in Australia, their compliance with regulatory, class and legislative standards and finally their interoperability with Australian and allied systems.
The program has a budget of $7 billion to $10 billion through 2034. That includes $1.5 billion which is allocated for sustainment.
"Defence continues to enhance the size and lethality of Navy’s surface combatant fleet, as directed by Government in February 2024, and is progressing the acquisition of Australia’s general purpose frigate by engaging with exemplar platform nations and tenderers," a Defence spokesperson said in response to questions from ADM.