Naval Directory Case Study: Royal Australian Navy's Type 26 GCS
Asian Military Review|November 2018

The Hunter-class Type 26 GCS-A brings capability spread for Australia.

Dr Lee Willett
Naval Directory Case Study: Royal Australian Navy's Type 26 GCS

In June 2018, the Commonwealth of Australia announced that the United Kingdom’s BAE Systems-built, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) focused Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) had been downselected as the baseline design to provide the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Sea 5000 Future Frigate capability.

Australia is purchasing nine Global Combat Ship-Australia (GCS-A) vessels to replace the RAN’s eight in-service MEKO 200 ANZAC-class frigates. The ships will be called the Hunter class. The lead ship is scheduled for delivery to the navy in the mid- 2020s, prior to entering operational service in the late 2020s.

In UK Royal Navy (RN) service, the Type 26 has been procured primarily as an ASW platform, with the RN receiving eight Type 26s (called the City class) to replace its eight ASWroled Type 23 frigates. The return to state-based competition in the underwater domain across the European and North Atlantic theatre underlines the importance of ASW for the RN.

For the RAN, the increase in sub-surface activity across the Indo-Pacific region over the last decade also underlines the importance of introducing improved ASW capability. “The proliferation of submarines in the Indo-Pacific region and the increasingly complex strategic situation create a new priority for ASW capabilities,” retired RAN rear admiral James Goldrick told AMR. Noting that over 50 percent of the world’s submarines will be operating in the Indo-Pacific region by 2030, the RAN itself has stated that “the primary purpose of the Future Frigate is to detect, track and, if required, destroy enemy submarines.”

Denne historien er fra November 2018-utgaven av Asian Military Review.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 2018-utgaven av Asian Military Review.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA ASIAN MILITARY REVIEWSe alt
SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE
Asian Military Review

SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE

Top attack munitions are now widely developed for different artillery calibers with varied ranges.

time-read
10 mins  |
June/July 2021
NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT
Asian Military Review

NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT

Fused and enhanced night-vision technology will make the difference to soldiers fighting at night.

time-read
8 mins  |
June/July 2021
MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'
Asian Military Review

MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'

New rotorcraft are going to come with new abilities founded on open systems that provide easier upgrade paths and cheaper through life costs.

time-read
8 mins  |
June/July 2021
INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021
Asian Military Review

INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is growing apace, especially in China. New longer range ISR platforms are also on the procurement list of several nations.

time-read
10+ mins  |
June/July 2021
TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS
Asian Military Review

TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS

United States President Joe Biden has made it a top priority of his Administration to repair and re-energize global alliances during its first year in power. This is a necessary strategic and political calculus made in light of growing global security, public health, and environmental challenges that will require cooperation and multilateral contributions. President Trump’s ‘America first’ policy did much to undermine confidence in such relationships over his time in office.

time-read
3 mins  |
June/July 2021
SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING
Asian Military Review

SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING

The return of Great Power competition means that US SOCPAC is more than ever seeking joint training opportunities with regional special forces.

time-read
9 mins  |
June/July 2021
MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS
Asian Military Review

MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS

Navies not only want more engine power, there are also coming under increasing pressure to become environmentally conscious.

time-read
9 mins  |
June/July 2021
AMPHIBIOUS FORCES
Asian Military Review

AMPHIBIOUS FORCES

New amphibious concepts are re-shaping marine forces to break the A2AD defensive line.

time-read
9 mins  |
June/July 2021
SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH
Asian Military Review

SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH

Owning satellite based ISR for military use is still an exclusive ‘club’, but airborne ISR still provides that most countries need.

time-read
9 mins  |
April/May 2021
SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME
Asian Military Review

SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME

While experience grows among Indo-Pacific naval designers, order numbers remain crucial to keeping costs down and yards in business.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April/May 2021