Minister
for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare
today announced that the Government has approved the upgrade of all
eight of the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac Class frigates with
an advanced Anti-Ship Missile Defence system. The total project cost
is in excess of $650 million, including the funds already spent upgrading
HMAS Perth.
The ANZAC Class Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) project has also been
removed from the Projects of Concern list.
The 2009 Defence White Paper outlined the Government’s
intent to put all of the ANZAC Class ships through an ASMD upgrade program,
subject to the successful outcome of at-sea trials on the first ship.
The upgrade of HMAS Perth as the lead ship for the ASMD program was
successfully completed earlier this year.
Following exhaustive testing, including in theUnited States, the Chief
of Navy agreed to the operational release of the system in July 2011.
Government has now approved the installation of the system on the remaining
seven ships of the ANZAC class by 2017. |
