Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0

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ADMk2

Just a bloke
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Reptilia said:
SeaRam for RANs upgraded Mogamis, both Hughes and Hammond have stated that.
Hunter and every other RAN vessel that uses phalanx = unknown.

Mark 54 torps and NSM, probably 4x4(16)(-different to Japans setup)
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RAN has been quoted at Indo-Pacific as being “interested” in upgrading it’s Phalanx “fleet wide” to the RAM, in light of SeaRAM coming to Navy via the Mogami FFM.

Adm Hammond mentioned on day one that he thinks that “Integrated Air and Missile Defence” will “get a look at” under NDS 2026 and the updated IIP 2026.

The DSR / IIP 2024 also listed a “Phalanx upgrade project” and as previously stated I am not aware of any Phalanx upgrade beyond the Block 1B2 standard our Phalanx systems have already been upgraded to, besides SeaRAM, though I admit there could be company offerings for further Phalanx upgrades that have not yet been made public.

I also recall reporting on how impressed USN was with the operational performance of RAM Block 2 in the Red Sea operations, not so long back. i’m sure the RAN is aware of that feedback…

Taken together a new RAN project being unveiled in IIP26 to acquire SeaRAM / RAM - MK.49 GMLS across the fleet, would touch on all of these points and realities…
 
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R

Reptilia

Well-Known Member
Tbone said:
I believe they could have done this from ship 4 in the originally attend 12 vessel fleet!
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2028 for the first to be in service. The MMPV 90 also has a 3000nm range and requires twice the crew of the OPV. The cost would jump to $600-700 million each aswell. Wasn’t worth it imo…

All 6 opvs will be in service by 2028 and the upgraded Mogami delivered in 2029.
 
Todjaeger

Todjaeger

Potstirrer
Tbone said:
I believe they could have done this from ship 4 in the originally attend 12 vessel fleet!
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Why would Australia have wanted to go down this route though? It would have involved introducing yet another class of vessel into the RAN, which if comparable to the fitout for the Bulgarian Navy would mean the class would be a bit different from other classes in RAN service. Consider this, the Arafura-class OPV's for the RAN have a displacement of 1,650 tonnes or ~1,819 tons, while the new Bulgarian corvettes have a displacement of ~2,300 tons, or about 26% greater displacement as well as ~10 m greater length.

When you start increasing the dimensions and displacement like that, the internals are also going to be a bit different, never mind the drastically different fitout of ship systems with the Bulgarian Navy getting what are functionally a pair of corvettes. The systems fitout would also drive up the price of the vessel, with the ships costing an estimated €220 mil. per vessel or nearly AUD$400 mil. per vessel. Keep in mind that this is also for vessels built in an active shipyard in Bulgaria, which would likely mean that the costs to produce the same in Australia would have been even higher.

All to deliver multi-role corvettes to the RAN, which means that the shortcomings of corvettes in RAN service would remain.
 
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