The Anzac class (also identified as the ANZAC class and the MEKO 200 ANZ type) is a ship class of ten frigates; eight operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and two operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).
During the 1980s, the RAN began plans to replace the s (based on the British ) with a mid-capability patrol frigate and settled on the idea of modifying a proven German design for Australian conditions. Around the same time, the RNZN was seeking to replace their Leander-class frigates while maintaining blue-water capabilities. A souring of relations between New Zealand and the United States in relation to New Zealand's nuclear-free zone and the ANZUS security treaty prompted New Zealand to seek improved ties with other nations, particularly Australia. As both nations were seeking warships of similar capabilities, the decision was made in 1987 to collaborate on their acquisition.
The project name (and later, the class name) is taken from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of the First World War.
Twelve ship designs were tendered in 1986. The RAN intends to start replacing its frigates in 2024, while the RNZN ships will remain active until the mid-2030s.
Planning and development
The Anzac class originated from the RAN's New Surface Combatant (NSC) project, which began in the mid-1980s to find a replacement for the RAN's six s. By 1985, various design briefs ranging from displacement were under consideration, with the RAN emphasising anti-ship missile defence, damage control, and ship survivability based on Royal Navy experiences during the Falklands War. The government saw maintaining a blue-water capable force built around three or four frigates as important, but the cost of acquiring and maintaining such a force was prohibitive, once it became clear on the basis of RN and RAN studies that the generally favored Type 21 design lacked the space and volume for the required range and development. A joint Anzac project offered the RNZN the first chance in 20 years for new deepwater warships. The NZ 1983 Defence Review on the basis of RN theoretical study and enthusiasm for the 2400 Vicker sub-project, saw a submarine force as the only way of maintaining an RNZN as a combat force, and the Muldoon government actually entered into a memo of understanding with Australia for the joint development of what became the s and assigned staff to the Australian project. However, it became clear that surface vessels were also required and the cost risk was too high. Alternate suggestions, such as reducing the RNZN to a coast guard-type force responsible for coastal and fisheries protection, replacing the frigates with smaller offshore patrol vessels, or reorienting the navy to primarily operate submarines, were made in several venues, but were seen as an unacceptable loss in capability. In response, the New Zealand government sought to improve ties with Australia; one such avenue was to promote military interoperability between the countries by standardising equipment and procedures where possible. The Australian NSC project was seen to have "virtually identical" requirements to the RNZN's proposed Replacement Combat Ship concept, and the need to replace the warships dovetailed with the need to improve relations with Australia.
The proposed baseline characteristics called for a vessel capable of reaching speeds of and a range of at based on a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) propulsion system, able to operate in Sea State 5, and capable of operating a Seahawk-size helicopter. The ship was to be fitted with a main gun and an eight-cell launcher for a point-defence missile system, and fitted for but not with a torpedo system, anti-ship missiles, and a close-in weapons system. Tenders were requested by the project at the end of 1986, and 19 submissions were made, 12 of which included ship designs: the Netherlands' M-class (later ) frigate, a design based on the German MEKO 200 multipurpose frigate design, Italy's frigate, the French F2000 design, the Canadian frigate, the German Type 122 (later frigate), Norway's offshore patrol vessel, the British Type 23 frigate (which was proposed by two different shipyards), South Korea's frigate, and an airship design proposed by Airship Industries. The Type 23 proposal was eliminated in November 1987, with the other two going into a development phase where the designer partnered with an Australian shipbuilder: Blohm + Voss with AMECON, and Royal Schelde with Australian Warship Systems. The decision was made despite ongoing debate in New Zealand over the project. New Zealand committed in principle to the purchase of two frigates plus the option for two more on 7 September, and the contract for the first two ships was signed on 10 November.
In 1992, the Australian Force Structure Review contained plans to replace the three guided-missile destroyers and four of the six guided-missile frigates with air defence vessels. The initial proposal – to build an additional six Anzac-class frigates configured for wide-area anti-aircraft warfare – did not go ahead as the Anzac design was too small to effectively host all the required equipment and weapons.
New Zealand controversy
thumb|HMNZS Te Kaha in 2017
Due to the late 1960s decision of the UK government to withdraw the Royal Navy from East of Suez in the early 1970s, considerable doubt existed within the RNZN, the government, and community about the continuing relevance, viability, and usefulness of an RNZN force of three to four frigates. The option of the United States Coast Guard's (USCG) s was seriously considered as an alternative to the order of HMNZS Canterbury in 1968, which was approved under the understanding that New Zealand would hold continued access to the UK market after Britain entered the European Economic Community and was affordable only because it was part of a British deal with the Yarrow shipyard to build seven RN, Chilean and RNZN Leanders at less than the cost to save shipyard jobs in Scotland.
Proposals were made during the late 1970s for a modified Hamilton-class cutter with less range, or the RN Type 21 frigate with similar anti-submarine capability to a Leander but with a smaller crew and less air-defence equipment. American s and a similar Dutch combat frigate were also proposed, but all were rejected by the Muldoon government and by the early 1980s a number of retired naval officers and political scientists like Helen Clark and Robert Miles were seriously debating and writing papers and articles suggesting options such as RN OPVs, the and the USCG's WMEC Bear class. The navy was interested in some of these ideas, but only for the option proposed by the 1978 Defence Review of acquiring two OPVs to patrol the expanded EEZ and free the Leanders for other uses and for replacement of the inadequate and worn out s. After the election of the Lange Labour government, thinking on alternatives to frigates for the RNZN had moved towards purpose-built designs rather like the Irish Navy's patrol corvette, a sort of 1,800-ton high endurance corvette with Leander-like helicopter hangar and pad or small Meko 100–140 designs rather different from the s built for Argentina. After the nuclear ships crisis and other events, the acquisition of some Anzac frigates was virtually certain, because the key Labour MP Jim Anderton either accepted the Anzac ships as a necessary increased self-defence capability with the securing of a nuclear-free policy or tacitly agreed not to oppose it like Helen Clark.
The new most touted off-the-shelf options in 1986–88 (the Castle and Bear-class vessels) were no longer possible as the Scottish shipbuilders had closed and development of the Bear cutter option into a stretched vessel was effectively impossible after the ANZUS impasse. The New Zealand government's planned acquisition of the Anzac-class frigates was a major point of debate and contention: researcher Peter Greener claims that it "was possibly the most strongly debated defence purchase of the century". The government's official stance was dedication to maintaining a blue-water navy, primarily in order to defend the nation and contribute to regional security. Despite this, the government was slow to respond to opponents of the project which included peace campaigners, politicians (from both within and outside the Labour Party, and from both ends of the political spectrum), and military personnel. Most of the concern revolved around the cost of purchasing frigate-type ships, along with the idea that four high-capability warships would be too few and too overspecialised to operate in the roles envisioned for the RNZN.
thumb|left|The Danish patrol frigate . The Thetis class was one of the alternates proposed during debates on New Zealand's acquisition of the Anzac class.
The primary role foreseen for the RNZN was fisheries protection, particularly following the introduction of a exclusive economic zone by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; this was thought to require a minimum of six vessels to effectively police. Peace campaigners claimed that the purchase of the Anzacs was a politically motivated decision made under pressure from Australia, which was trying to support its shipbuilding industry, and stated that the Fourth Labour Government was undermining its commitment to reduce the nation's deficit by spending so much on high-tech warships (although figures of $NZ20 billion for purchase and 20 years of operation was misquoted as an upfront lump sum). There were also concerns that by possessing modern warships, New Zealand would be "dragged" back into ANZUS. One proposal suggested to avoid this was that the New Zealand Anzacs be fitted with inferior engines that would reduce the vessels' top speed and make it impossible to operate with United States Navy fleets. Two months after tenders for the project closed, the managing director of Svendborg Skibsværft began to campaign for the construction of the Danish IS-86 patrol vessel (later designated the frigate) for the RNZN. In response to these proposals, the government indicated that it was committing to purchasing Australian ships, and that interoperability with the RAN (which the alternate ship designs were incapable of) was a major element in the decision. From the government's perspective, the Anzac project was being seen as a litmus test of New Zealand's commitment to (among other things) relations with Australia and regional defence, particularly after the problems between New Zealand and the United States.
Despite the government signing contracts for the purchase of two Anzacs in November 1989, the project continued to be a bone of contention in New Zealand politics, particularly after the Fourth Labour Government lost the 1990 election to the National Party, which formed the Fourth National Government. In 1992, Minister of Defence Warren Cooper began claiming in several arenas that exercising the option for two more frigates may not be necessary. Following the 1996 election, the National Party retained power, but only in coalition with the New Zealand First party, which opposed the purchase of additional frigates. Other options for replacing the two remaining Leanders were explored, but these were generally more expensive than purchasing the Anzacs. The US Clinton Administration partly discredited the option of a third Anzac by formally offering the RNZN two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate shorthulls of 15–17 years age, purportedly armed with SM1 Standard missiles and later 28 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft which it had refused to transfer to Pakistan. These offers were made partly because of US concern that Australia needed more regional defence support to conduct a more robust foreign and economic policy in SE Asia. However the F-16 offer, offered the NZ cabinet an option and out and they took it, rather than be immensely unpopular in both Canberra and Washington by rejecting both. In the view of NZ PM Jenny Shipley the Australians had made a good offer, but it was not good enough and there were many alternative ship designs. Internal political opposition, particularly from New Zealand First, prevented the exercising of the contract option for two more ships before it lapsed on 10 November 1997, at which point the government was considering the purchase of a single frigate outside the terms of the original contract. A year later, the idea was still being debated internally although the proposal had been downgraded to buying one of the active Australian Anzacs second-hand which the RAN could then replace by building an additional ship. At this point, the National-New Zealand First coalition had collapsed, and the National Party was only holding on to power by the support of minority parties and independents; support that was likely to be withdrawn if a third frigate was approved. Cabinet rejected the plan, and the issue of replacing the Leander-class frigate was deferred.
Design at launch
The Anzac design is derived from Blohm + Voss' MEKO 200 PN (or ) frigate, and is identified by the company as the MEKO 200 ANZ. In addition to capability modifications to meet RAN and RNZN requirements, the ships were redesigned during the development phase to maximise the involvement of Australian and New Zealand industries through the use of locally sourced components: 80% of the materials (by value) was locally sourced, and within this, 20% must come from New Zealand. The ships are long at the waterline, and long overall, with a beam of , and a draught at full load of . The starboard turbine was cancelled to save costs. Project offsets meant that construction costs for the New Zealand ships were about 20% less than the Australian vessels. Anzac commissioned into the RAN in May 1996, and Te Kaha into the RNZN in July 1997. In early 2002, the first four ships found to have microscopic cracks in the bilge keel and hull plating. The RAN and RNZN began to plan for upgrades to their frigates before all of the ships entered service; these upgrades were planned and executed on a national basis. Both of the frigate's masts were replaced, and the operations room layout was improved. After completion in October 2010, Perth was used to test the modifications, with trials completed in July 2011. Approval to upgrade the other seven RAN Anzacs was granted in November 2011, with work on the A$650 million refits to begin in 2012. As of March 2017, all eight ships of the RAN had completed the upgrade.
From Warramunga onwards, the frigates were launched with the ability to carry and fire the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) as a replacement for the Sea Sparrow missile; these were quad-packed into the Mark 41 launcher for a payload of 32 missiles. The Australian Anzacs were fitted for but not with the launchers, but the originally planned location on 02 deck was found to be unsuitable, and the launchers were relocated to 01 deck, in front of the bridge. Two TopLite EO directors are used with the guns. Toowoomba was the first Australian ship to fire an MU90 torpedo, during a test firing in June 2008, and Stuart performed the first 'warshot' firing of an armed MU90.
The RAN commenced tendering for a helicopter design to replace the Seahawks aboard the Australian Anzacs in 1996, with a contract for 11 Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters signed in 1997. In order to get the best capability for the cheapest price, the Australian Department of Defence opted to have Kaman acquire 40-year-old SH-2F Seasprite airframes decommissioned by the United States Navy, and fit modern flight systems to the reconditioned airframes.
As part of the ANZAC Mid-life Capability Assurance Programme (AMCAP) upgrade under SEA 1448, Phase 4B, the SPS-49(V)8 was replaced with CEAFAR2-L L band phased array radar, along with replacements of the Cossar Mk XII IFF, Exelis ES-3701 ESM and upgrades to the LESCUT, AN/SLQ-25C torpedo self-defence system, and the Nulka active missile decoy capability.
In 2022, the government announced that the Anzac-class would be armed with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to replace the Harpoon missile which would more than double the strike range. In June 2024, the Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said that some of the Anzac-class had been armed with the NSM.
New Zealand modifications
As soon as the New Zealand Anzacs entered service, a Phalanx CIWS weapons system, recycled from decommissioning various Leander frigates, was fitted to each new frigate in addition to the Mark 32 torpedo tube sets. Unlike the Australians, the New Zealand contract specified new-build helicopters. Kaman Aerospace loaned four SH-2F Seasprites to the RNZN while the new helicopters were constructed: the SH-2Fs operated from February 1998 to August 2001, when the first two SH-2Gs were accepted into service.
In 2006, the RNZN fitted two Mini Typhoons for each of its Anzac-class frigates. The four areas of modification under the PSU were improved stability and compartment configuration changes, overhaul of the propulsion system, installation of a new Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), and upgrades to onboard environmental control. These include the replacement of the existing combat management system, with a system modelled on that of the RCN Halifax-class frigates awarded to Lockheed Martin, The British Sea Ceptor anti-air missile replaced the Sea Sparrow on 27 May 2014. Other changes included the Norwegian Penguin Mk 2 Mod 7 for the Seasprite helicopters and the fitting of a Sea Sentor Surface Ship Torpedo Defence, or SSTD system, as well as MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System). A new inertial navigation positioning system (Northrop Grumman) and navigation radar and SharpEye™ surveillance radars with an Agile Tracker has been fitted. The main radar will be the Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D radar. Other sensors and upgrades include Link 16, laser warning, and IFF. The Lockheed Martin Combat Management System 330 is also installed on the RNZN frigates, as it increases the eyes on each screen, covering lesser sensors and crew.
Operational history
thumb|left|Anzac operating near the Iraqi [[Khor Al Amaya Oil Terminal in 2007]]
thumb|Te Kaha (centre), berthed with the offshore patrol vessel (left) and inshore patrol vessel (right) in Wellington in 2010. The latter two ships were introduced under [[Project Protector to update the RNZN patrol force, and reduce the requirement for the Anzacs to undertake local patrol duties.]]
In 1999, Te Kaha pursued Patagonian Toothfish poachers in the Ross Dependency, participated in the INTERFET multinational deployment to East Timor, and operated as part of the Multinational Interception Force in the Persian Gulf in 1999. The New Zealand frigates served periods as guardships at the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara between 2000 and 2001.
A 2002 review of the RNZN's abilities found that the navy was not meeting its patrol capability requirements; one of the contributing factors was that the New Zealand Anzacs were both too few and overcapable for EEZ patrols, and deploying them in this manner prevented them from more effective use elsewhere. Remedying this was one of the aims of Project Protector, a multi-ship acquisition project which saw three new classes of ship enter RNZN service.
Planned replacement
The RAN plans to begin removing their Anzacs from service from 2024 onwards. The frigates have been predicted to have a displacement of up to , and although they will be primarily oriented towards anti-submarine warfare, they are expected to be capable of also operating against air, sea-surface, and land targets. Construction was predicted to commence in 2020. The Abbott government promised that the two-decade construction project will be headquartered in South Australia, with shipbuilding divided between ASC Pty Ltd in South Australia and BAE Systems' Williamstown Dockyard in Victoria.
The New Zealand Defence Capability Plan 2019 states that the RNZN's Anzacs will be replaced in the mid-2030s by "modern surface combatants relevant to New Zealand's prevailing strategic environment".
In February 2024 it was announced that HMAS Anzac was due to decommission in 2024, the first of her class, to free up funding for a future enlargement of the RAN. Her sister ship, Arunta, is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2026 while the remainder of the class would receive no more major upgrades.
In August 2025, the Australian government informed that
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has beaten German rival TKMS in the race to build Australia’s new fleet of warships.
Ships
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Pennant number
! Builder
! Laid down
|-
!colspan=7 align=center|Royal Australian Navy
!
|-
|
|FFH 150
|rowspan=8|Tenix Defence, Williamstown
|5 November 1993
|16 September 1994
|18 May 1996
|18 May 2024
|
|AMCAP
|-
!colspan=7 align=center|Royal New Zealand Navy
!
|-
|
|F77
|rowspan=2|Tenix Defence, Williamstown
|19 September 1994
|22 July 1995
|22 July 1997
|
|NZ FSU completed 2020
|-
|
|F111
|18 May 1996
|10 May 1997
|10 December 1999
|
|NZ FSU completed 2022
|-
|}
Notes
See also
- List of ships of the Royal Australian Navy
- List of ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy
- List of frigate classes in service
Equivalent frigates of the same era
- Type 23
Citations
References
Books
- Book at ANU.