The Hunter Class Frigate (HCF) is the Australian variant of the Global Combat Ship (GCS) Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigate based upon the UK Reference Ship Design (RSD) for the Type 26 Frigate (T26). The project will build 9 ships for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to replace the current fleet of 8 ANZAC Frigates, with construction to be undertaken in the Osborne Naval ship yard in Adelaide, South Australia by BAE Systems Maritime Australia (BAESMA). The paper will focus primarily on the HCF characteristics that are different from other GCS variants, and will outline indicative project milestones on the path to designing and building HCF Batch 1. From a design governance perspective, the Department of Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), in collaboration with BAESMA, is progressing though a series of structured design reviews. In November 2021, the project successfully passed the Mission System (MS) System Definition Review (SDR), allowing the design functional baseline to be struck, which is a key step in platform system design maturity. Achieving this milestone is also an enabler for a whole series of design, procurement and production activities that all need to be planned, choreographed and scheduled precisely to support cutting steel on the first ship production blocks by June 2024. The HCF design has deviated away from the RSD in several significant areas (integrating the AEGIS Combat System in conjunction with the Australian Interface (AI), the CEAFAR Phased Array Radar (PAR) and MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter) to take advantage of existing weapons, sensors and aircraft types that are already in service with the RAN. Good use has also been made of experience gained from recent ship acquisitions and mid-life upgrade programs, including the Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) and the ANZAC Frigate Midlife Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP). This technical paper will review the progress thus far from a platform system design and combat system integration perspective, and will highlight the challenges and compromises necessary to achieve an efficient and effective design. This will focus in three technical areas; (a) hull form and structural changes, (b) the evolving design of the electrical power generation and distribution system and (c) the impact upon cooling systems (noting the broad diversity across the platform). The approach to construction within the Osborne ship yard will be covered, including the division, layout and sequencing of HCF into 12 Design Zones and 22 Blocks, and the associated spatial design process underway that will lead into production. In addition, the paper will also outline the broader HCF procurement and infrastructure implications of the Australian Industry Capability and the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise.