BAE Systems signs SEA 5000 Frigate design contract with Australian Government

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Naval Industry News - UK, Australia
 
 
 
BAE Systems signs SEA 5000 Frigate design contract with Australian Government
 
BAE Systems has signed a contract with the Commonwealth Government to further refine its design of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) for the Royal Australian Navy under the SEA 5000 (Future Frigate) program.

BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive, Glynn Phillips, said: “We look forward to demonstrating the adaptability and maturity of the Global Combat Ship design to meet Australia’s requirements for an Anti-Submarine Warship frigate. The Global Combat Ship design is the most modern, adaptable and flexible of all possible options available today, and I am confident that we will be able to demonstrate that it is the best able to meet the requirements of the Royal Australian Navy.”
     
BAE Systems has signed a contract with the Commonwealth Government to further refine its design of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) for the Royal Australian Navy under the SEA 5000 (Future Frigate) program.BAE Systems SEA 5000 proposal is based on the future Royal Navy Type 26 design. It was unveiled during Pacific 2015 naval defense show.
     
In coming months, a team of BAE Systems’ Australian engineers will be deployed to the UK to join the Company’s established design team. Being embedded into the one of the most advanced warship building teams in the world will allow these engineers to acquire the skills and knowledge required to effectively transfer the technology to Australia.

BAE Systems is using the latest in modern digital planning capability to refine and tailor its designs to the Commonwealth of Australia’s requirements. To assist this process, the Company has revealed that, a 3-dimensional visualisation suite will be delivered to Australia to help improve understanding of the unique features of the ship design. This will enable conversations about design modifications the Royal Australian Navy requires and will help demonstrate how the Global Combat Ship could accommodate the required CEA Technologies’ phased-array radar system.

This is part of the Australian Department of Defence’s Competitive Evaluation Process for the program. The Commonwealth has also entered into similar agreements with Fincantieri and Navantia.

Comments by Navy Recognition
9 new frigates will be procured as part of the SEA5000 program which calls for the replacement of the RAN ANZAC class frigates. The Future frigate-class is expected to have anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities and the CEAFAR2 radar currently in development by CEA.

The Type 26 is the future Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate that will replace the Royal Navy's 13 Type 23 frigates and other ships. BAE Systems says the Type 26 / Global Combat Ship will be a highly capable and versatile multi-mission warship designed to support anti-submarine warfare, air defence and general purpose operations anywhere on the world’s oceans. Navy Recognition could not meet a BAE representative who could talk about the SEA5000 GCS (during Pacific 2015) but we understand that it would be fitted with the CEAFAR2 radar currently in development by CEA, Mk41 cells exclusively (no CAMM which are present on the UK design) as well as a BAE Systems Mk 45 5 inch main gun.

BAE Systems SEA5000 proposal basic specifications:
Original design: Global Combat Ship (Royal Navy Type 26)
Length: 148.5 m
Max beam: 20 m
Displacement: 6,000 t
Accommodation: 118 crew + 72 embarked forces