Integrating systems from different manufacturers to ensure they can operate in sync is one of the most challenging tasks in shipbuilding. BAE said Lockheed Martin and Saab had been selected because they offered strengths and technical expertise to complement its own skills. The contract will create 100 systems engineers jobs, growing to 200 when the first of the nine Hunter class frigates go into production in 2022. "The Hunter Class combat system is a vital piece of the frigate's infrastructure which will give the men and women who operate these ships the capability to protect the nation against airborne, surface and under-sea threats," said BAE Systems Australia Hunter Class Frigate Program managing director Nigel Stewart. "We can be proud that this capability is being created in Australia and that the Hunter Class program will sustain the existing skills and experience of the engineers already delivering capability to the navy." BAE was only named the winning frigate bid in June, and Mr Stewart said progress was running ahead of schedule. In addition to making an early call on the crucial task of combat systems integration and locking in place an Australian supply chain, the head contract between BAE and the Commonwealth was close to being signed this year or early next year, as was the acquisition of government-owned shipbuilder ASC, which will provide much of the shipbuilding workforce. The progress on the frigate project makes a stark contrast to the $50 billion submarine contract, where negotiations between Canberra and the French designer are running late and been marked by bitter disputes.
UK defence, security and aerospace company Saab announced Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems Australia as joint combat systems integrators on the Royal Navy’s $35bn frigate programme the firm was working on. It selected the two against a rival bid from US company Raytheon which had already carried out similar combat system integration on the Air Warfare Destroyer project. BAE said Lockheed and BAE Systems offered expertise to complement its own. The Hunter class frigates are due to be built from 2022 and BAE said work was ahead of schedule.