HMAS Tasman (FFG) is the third planned ship of the Hunter-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy. She will be a heavy frigate capable of anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-ship and land-attack warfare, integrating the Aegis Combat System with a suite of missiles including Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and a variety of anti-air weapons such as the SM-6 terminal anti-ballistic missile. Tasman is yet to begin construction, with her commissioning expected sometime after 2032.
Development and design
The Hunter-class frigate is a future class of frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to replace the Anzac-class. Construction is expected to begin in 2020, with the first of nine vessels to enter service in the late 2020s. The program is expected to cost AU$35 billion and a request for tender was released in March 2017 to three contenders: Navantia, Fincantieri, and BAE Systems as part of a competitive evaluation process.
The Hunter-class frigate will be an Australian variation of the Type 26 frigate that is to be operated by the Royal Navy from the mid-2020s. The class will have a full load displacement and will be approximately in length. The vessel will be capable of sailing in excess of and will have a full complement of 180 crew.
Construction and career Tasman was ordered on 30 June 2018 (that is, the BAE Systems proposal for new Australian frigates was accepted then) and named after explorer Abel Tasman. She will be built by BAE Systems Australia in Osborne. The contract was signed on 21 June 2024.
References