Following the cancellation of the Australian light destroyer project in 1973, the British Type 42 destroyer and the American were identified as alternatives to replace the cancelled light destroyers and the s. Although the "Oliver Hazard Perry" class was still at the design stage, the difficulty of fitting the Type 42 with the SM-1 missile, and the success of the acquisition (a derivative of the American ) compared to equivalent British designs led the Australian government to approve the purchase of two US-built "Oliver Hazard Perry"-class frigates (including "Canberra") in 1976. A third was ordered in 1977, followed by a fourth, with all four ships integrated into the USN's shipbuilding program. A further two ships were ordered in 1980, and were constructed in Australia.