Bluey 006
Active Member
Any number of reliable public sources have suggested 32 cells for the Hunter, here Australian Defence Magazine,How do you know how many VLS the Hunters are planned to have? As far as I know, this isn’t publicly available information.
Also again, Australian Defence Magazine, quoting the commodore of the RAN.
“We will see a big step change from the Anzac ships it is replacing – we will have 32 VLS cells instead of eight, and we will have a massive increase in combat system capability from the Saab 9LV CMS to the Aegis Combat System, augmented by the Saab Australian Interface – and this combat system, together with Mk.41 VLS, allows for derivatives of future USN weapons as well,” CDRE Mann said. Source
Australian Strategic Policy Institute - here, also several other articles. I won't quote them all.
Various newspapers which are too numerous to quote.
I do hope the designer can squeeze a few more cells out of it in the final configuration. Say 36 or 40 cells or even if we are lucky 48. If they do, then combined with its other multi-role capabilities, it will be a very formidable multi-role frigate.
Constellation-class frigate (32cells)
Type 054A frigate (32 Cells)
Asahi-class destroyer (32 Cells)
Shivalik class frigate (32 Cells)
F126 frigate (16 × cells) - 10,000 Tonnes
T26 - (24 x Cells + 24 Cells CAMM)
F110-class frigate (16 cells)
Where we have really been let down in terms of cell count is our AWD with only 48, which has been an ongoing discussion point on this forum for over a decade.