Anzac Class Frigates, Australia

In November 1989, the Australian / New Zealand frigate building project contracted Australian shipbuilders Tenix Defence Systems to construct ten Anzac Class frigates; eight for Australia, two for New Zealand. The first frigate for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), HMAS Anzac, was commissioned in May 1996.

The other hulls are: HMAS Arunta (FFH 151), commissioned December 1998; HMAS Warramunga (FFH 152), March 2001; HMAS Stuart (FFH 153), August 2002; HMAS Parramatta (FFH 154), October 2003; HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155), June 2004; HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156), October 2005; HMAS Perth (FFH 157), August 2006. The two frigates for New Zealand, HMNZS Te Kaha (F77) and Te Mana (F111), were commissioned in July1997 and December 1999.

Tenix Defence Systems is the prime contractor, with responsibility for design and systems integration of the ship; subcontractors Blohm + Voss Australia provides the platform design and combat system integration; and Saab Systems Australia provides electronic integration and combat system design. The 3,600t frigates were built at Tenix's Williamstown yard in Victoria, Australia. The design is based on the Blohm + Voss Meko 200 modular design which utilises a basic hull and construction concept to provide flexibility in the choice of command and control, weapons, equipment and sensors.

In March 2003, HMAS Anzac was deployed in support of coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Both of the New Zealand frigates have been deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Command and control

The Anzac's combat data system is built around the Saab Systems 9LV 453 Mk 3 combat management system, with Link 11 and SHF satellite commmunications. The 9LV Mk 3E will be fitted in the last vessel for the RAN. MILSATCOM communications system has been installed in HMAS Warramunga and subsequent vessels, which facilitates joint exercises with US and allied navies.

Weapons control is managed by the Saab Systems 9LV 453 optronic director with Saab Systems J-band radar. Raytheon CW Mk 73 is the fire control system for the Seasparrow missile. This has been replaced with the CEA Technologies I/J-band Solid State Continuous Wave Illuminator transmitter (SSCWI) on Warramunga and will be fitted to all Anzac vessels.

Anzac weapons

The Anzac is armed with one eight-cell mk41 vertical launching system for NATO Seasparrow surface-to-air missiles. Seasparrow is a semi-active radar missile with a range of 14.5km.

Seasparrow has been replaced by the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) in HMAS Warramunga, Stuart and Parramatta, increasing the capacity from eight to 32 missiles, and the weapon system was declared operational on these vessels in June 2004. ESSM will be retrofitted in the first two Australian ships. HMAS Warramunga was the first vessel in the world to be fitted with the ESSM.

ESSM has been developed by Raytheon with an international cooperative of ten NATO countries and is designed to counter high-speed anti-ship missiles. It has the same semi-active radar guidance and warhead as the Seasparrow but has a new rocket motor and tail control to provide increased speed, range and manoeuvrability. ESSM was passed for full-rate production by the US Navy in April 2004.

Capacity to launch eight Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles is to be added under Project SEA 1348. Anzac will be fitted with Harpoon Block II missiles, which have new inertial / GPS (Global Positioning System) guidance for precision targeting, and will be among the first vessels to have the new missile.

The main gun is a BAE Systems Land & Armaments (formerly United Defense) 127mm mk45 Mod 2 gun, which can fire at a rate of 20 rounds a minute to a range of over 20km.

Two triple 324mm mk32 torpedo tubes for mk46 anti-submarine torpedoes are fitted. Mk46 is an active / passive torpedo with a range of 11km. In 2004, the RAN ordered the Eurotorp MU90 advanced lightweight torpedo, which is being fitted to all Anzac frigates. MU90 is 3m long, weighs 300kg and has a range of more than 10km. HMS Toowoomba, the first vessel to be fitted with the new torpedo, completed a first test firing of the MU90 in June 2008.

Countermeasures

The frigate is equipped with Thales Defence Sceptre A radar warner. Decoy systems consist of SLQ-25A towed torpedo decoys and mk36 launchers, initially for Sea Gnat decoys but now used to launch BAE Systems Australia Nulka anti-missile hovering offboard decoy, which provides protection against radio frequency seeker anti-ship missiles.

Sensors

Air search is by Raytheon SPS-49(V)8 ANZ radar, operating at C/D band, and air / surface search by Sabb Microwave Systems (formerly Ericsson) Sea Giraffe G/H-band radar. The I-band navigation radar is the Atlas Electronik 9600 ARPA.

Thales Underwater Systems Pacific Spherion B hull-mounted sonar is fitted. Spherion B is a medium frequency, active search and attack sonar. A Kariwara towed array sonar may be fitted.

In December 2003, Thales Underwater Systems Pty Ltd was awarded a contract to supply the Petrel mine and obstacle avoidance sonar for the Anzac.

Anzac Class upgrade programme

In December 2003, the Australian Department of Defence announced a project to upgrade the Anzac Class Anti-Ship Missile Defences (ASMD). The contract for the first phase was signed in May 2005 with the ANZAC Alliance between Tenix Defence, Saab and the Department of Defence. A previous programme, the ANZAC Warfighting Improvement Program, was cancelled in 1999.

The first phase includes the upgrade of the command and control system to the Saab 9LV Mk 3E and the installation of the Sagem Vampir NG infrared search and track (IRST) system for the detection and tracking of low-level aircraft and anti-ship missiles. The first upgraded vessel will be delivered in 2008 and work will be completed by 2012.

In September 2005, the RAN selected the CEA Technologies CEA-FAR 3D E/F band, fixed active phased array radar for improved fire control against anti-ship missiles. The radar replaces the Saab Sea Giraffe and will enter service from 2009.

Helicopter

Each ship is designed to accommodate, operate and maintain its own helicopter. The RAN is using its Sikorsky Seahawk S-70B2s initially but ordered 11 Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters.

Deliveries began in 2001 and are due to complete in 2006. The SH-2G(A) received provisional acceptance into service in October 2003.

The helicopters were grounded in May 2006, after problems with the flight control system and ITAS software. A review of the programme was initiated in May 2006 and, in May 2007, the RAN decided to continue with the project rather than pursue alternatives.

However in March 2008, the RAN finally announced the cancellation of the programme. The helicopters have been returned to Kaman for possible sale to another customer. The RAN is considering a future replacement helicopter for the S-70B.

The Royal Navy of New Zealand (RNZN) has ordered five SH-2Gs, two for the Anzac frigates. Deliveries completed in March 2003 and all five have entered service. These are armed with the Raytheon Maverick missile.

Propulsion

It is driven by a CODOG (Combined Diesel or Gas) turbine system; one GE LM 2,500 gas turbine rated at 33,600hp with a power turbine speed of 3,600rpm; two MTU 12V 1163 TB83 diesels each rated at 4,828hp at 1,200rpm, twin shaft with controllable pitch propellers.