Australian Future Frigate Program

[jhungary]

What's wrong with its 127mm and 2x4 Harpoon?

I think Harpoon was not loaded on ANZAC Class, it's an optional option for the ship. And 5 inch gun is Self Defence Weapon in the RAN Case.

This just goes to show ship type designation is determined more by role and associated capability than tonnage!
See Dutch LCF Zeven Provincien: a 6k ton fld FRIGATE.

I would have think the tonnage rules is meaningless long ago. JMSDF destroyer classes run from 5900 tons to 11,000 tons (not counting the 2 Helicopter Destroyer class) and ROKN have been making 11,000 tons + Destroyer. US Zumwalt Class is a 14,000 tons mammoth. Given these ship should have been light cruiser to cruiser or even battle cruiser if we have gone back to the tradition convention used during WW2.

 

[Penguin]

Originally, the ANZAC ships were fitted for but not with a close-in weapons system, two quad-canister Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, and a second Mark 41 launcher. After the ships were completed, both the Australian and New Zealand navies fitted Mark 32 3-tube torpedo launchers to their frigates, from decommissioned ships. From 2005 onwards, the RAN began fitting the Anzacs and the Adelaides with Harpoon Block II missiles in two quad-tube canister launchers. While the Australian Anzacs were fitted for but not with the launchers, the original planned location on 02 deck was found to be unsuitable, and the launchers were subsequently relocated to 01 deck, in front of the bridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac-class_frigate#Modifications_and_improvements
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac-class_frigate#Australian_modifications

HMAS Perth (notice them thingies in front of the bridge)

HMAS Ballarat during RIMPAC 2016 (notice them thingies in front of the bridge)