Design and construction HMAS Warramunga (FFH 152)

the anzac class originated ran plans replace 6 river-class destroyer escorts mid-capability patrol frigate. australian shipbuilding industry thought incapable of warship design, ran decided take proven foreign design , modify it. around same time, royal new zealand navy (rnzn) looking replace 4 leander-class frigates; deterioration in new zealand-united states relations, need improve alliances nearby nations, , commonalities between ran , rnzn ships requirements led 2 nations begin collaborating on acquisition in 1987. tenders requested anzac ship project @ end of 1986, 12 ship designs (including airship) submitted. august 1987, tenders narrowed down in october blohm + voss s meko 200 design, m class (later karel doorman class) offered royal schelde, , scaled-down type 23 frigate proposed yarrow shipbuilders. in 1989, australian government announced melbourne-based shipbuilder amecon (which became tenix defence) build modified meko 200 design. australians ordered 8 ships, while new zealand ordered two, unexercised option 2 more.

the anzacs based on blohm + voss meko 200 pn (or vasco da gama class) frigates, modified meet australian , new zealand specifications , maximise use of locally built equipment. each frigate has 3,600-tonne (3,500-long-ton; 4,000-short-ton) full load displacement. ships 109 metres (358 ft) long @ waterline, , 118 metres (387 ft) long overall, beam of 14.8 metres (49 ft), , full load draught of 4.35 metres (14.3 ft). combined diesel or gas (codog) propulsion machinery layout used, single, 30,172-horsepower (22,499 kw) general electric lm2500-30 gas turbine , 2 8,840-horsepower (6,590 kw) mtu 12v1163 tb83 diesel engines driving ship s 2 controllable-pitch propellers. maximum speed 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), , maximum range on 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) @ 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph); 50% greater other meko 200 designs. standard ship s company of anzac consists of 22 officers , 141 sailors.

as designed, main armament frigate 5-inch 54 calibre mark 45 gun, supplemented eight-cell mark 41 vertical launch system (for rim-7 sea sparrow or rim-162 evolved sea sparrow missiles), 2 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) machine guns, , 2 mark 32 triple torpedo tube sets (initially firing mark 46 torpedoes, later upgraded use mu90 impact torpedo). designed not close-in weapons system (two mini typhoons fitted when required 2005 onwards), 2 quad-canister harpoon anti-ship missile launchers (which installed across ran vessels 2005 onwards), , second mark 41 launcher (which has not been added). australian anzacs use sikorsky s-70b-2 seahawk helicopter; plans replace them kaman sh-2g super seasprites cancelled in 2008 due ongoing problems.

warramunga laid down @ williamstown, victoria on 26 july 1997. ship assembled 6 hull modules , 6 superstructure modules; superstructure modules fabricated in whangarei, new zealand, , hull modules built @ both williamstown , newcastle, new south wales, final integration @ williamstown. launched on 23 may 1998, , commissioned ran on 31 march 2001. on commissioning, ship assigned fleet base west. had new zealand government exercised option 2 more frigates, warramunga 1 of ships have been designated rnzn.