What happened
- The first three frigates will be built in Japan; later ships are planned for Henderson, subject to the precinct’s consolidation.
- The 2026 Integrated Investment Program commits up to A$20 billion over the decade to the program.
- Each ship is planned for a crew of 92 and a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles.
Why it matters
A new class means new maintenance plans written for Australian conditions, and a chance to specify in-place cleaning of heat exchangers from the start.
SI briefing summarising public reporting by Minister for Defence. Figures are as reported by the source.

