ADM Looks At: The Hunter Class Frigate Program

About this episode

Ewen Levick and Nigel Pittaway discuss the complexities and current status of the Hunter Class Frigate Program.

Ewen Levick and Nigel Pittaway discuss the Hunter Class Frigate Program, with build of the first three ships well under way and more information being supplied about the ship design and the program itself. After discussing the current status, we consider the ship's design which is based on the UK's Type 26 Frigate, itself a replacement for their Type 23, noting the complexity of the design, its need to run as quietly as possible, and the differences Australia has introduced to the baseline. We also note that while Norway is buying the identical ship to the UK's design, the Canadians have also elected to modify the design for their River Class Frigates. We also address the issues raised in the mainstream media regarding the Hunter being overweight, over budget and late. While the Australian changes have added 500 tonnes to the design and increased the beam, the 2% performance impact against the Type 26 is considered within margins, especially given the increased capability it will have given the CEA radar and Aegis installation. It is acknowledged that the original budget of $35bn has increased to $44bn, however this appears to cover infrastructure build at Osborne in addition to…

People in this episode

Guests: Ewen Levick, Nigel Pittaway

Topics covered

• defense technology
• military
• naval defense
• shipbuilding
• program management
• budget analysis

Keywords

• Hunter Class Frigate
• Type 26 Frigate
• BAE Systems
• ship design
• defense budget
• naval capabilities
• program delays

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BAE Systems

Products: Hunter Class Frigate, Type 26 Frigate, River Class Frigates

Places: Australia, Norway, Canada

More episodes of Australian Defence Magazine Podcast

• Singapore Air Show interviews with Textron, DroneShield, Horizon Aircraft, Ondas and ShieldAI · April 28, 2026 · 48 min
• A call to arms for Australian guided weapons sovereign capability · April 21, 2026 · 28 min
• Reading the NDS & IIP tea leaves while the Mogami contract is signed · April 21, 2026 · 19 min
• Translating human intent into autonomous support · April 14, 2026 · 23 min
• Australian sovereign software for global forces - Ocean Software · April 7, 2026 · 31 min
• Singapore Air Show interviews with Bell, Aetosky and Top Aces · March 31, 2026 · 55 min