BAE Systems starts prototyping on the Hunter class frigate program December 18, 2020, by Jasmina Ovcina BAE Systems Maritime Australia cut steel this morning to officially launch the Hunter program’s prototyping phase, Australia’s biggest surface shipbuilding project. During prototyping, five representative ship blocks will be manufactured and assembled using Australian steel. The systems, processes, facilities and workforce competencies will be established and tested, providing a solid operational foundation before construction starts on the first Hunter class frigate in 2022. It takes less than a minute to cut a 6.72kg piece of steel into a carling, which is used to reinforce decks or bulkheads on a warship where equipment is mounted. The first prototype block for the Hunter Class Frigate Program requires 580 carlings and we cut the first one today! pic.twitter.com/7B4zvqCoit— BAE Systems Australia (@BAESystemsAus) December 18, 2020