The Hunter Class Frigate Program has reached a milestone with the laying of the keel of the first Hunter-class frigate, NUSHIP Hunter, Australian Defence Magazine reports.
“Today’s ceremony is the culmination of years of hard work by our people and partners in the pursuit of delivering a world-leading warship to the Royal Australian Navy,” Managing Director of BAE Systems Australia – Surface Ships, David Shepherd, said.
“The Hunter-class will form the backbone of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet for decades to come, with its unique capabilities, weapons, sensors and modular mission bay enabling it to undertake a wide range of missions in addition to hunting submarines.”
The ceremonial event – a naval tradition dating back centuries and intended to invoke good luck and protection for the ship and its future crew – saw BAE Systems Australia’s shipbuilders joined by Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, and Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley, to lay a coin under two ship blocks which form part of the keel of the frigate.
“While today we have physically laid the keel of the first Hunter class frigate, the Hunter program itself has laid the foundations of a Continuous Naval Shipbuilding & Sustainment capability in Australia,” Shepherd said.
“This milestone is a proud moment for our workforce, our partners and the thousands of Australians contributing to a sovereign naval shipbuilding enterprise that will support Australia’s security and prosperity for generations.”
The two blocks are among the first major sections to form part of NUSHIP Hunter. They will soon be joined by other blocks to form the base of the ship, as construction on the anti-submarine warfare frigates continues.
