It’s now a week since we found out the winner of SEA5000, a week ago I said, “Personally I don't think it gets much better for the RAN at the moment, good decision!"
And a week later, after reflecting on the decision, I still think the same.
Firstly, all three contenders should be congratulated, all appear (as best we can tell) to have put their best foot forward in both the offerings of the ship design itself and the industrial packages, and good luck to all of them in the respective Canadian and USN Frigate competitions they have entered.
I was one of those that didn’t think the Type 26 (have to start saying, Hunter class) would get up and take the prize. As Assail said, the Government did appear to go with the ‘Gold plated option’.
One of the things that has impressed me, is the size of the Hunter class, almost 150m x 20.8m and 8,800t full load displacement, more than twice the displacement of the Anzac FFHs.
Hopefully that all translates into the appropriate growth margins over the decades ahead, less chance of compromising one new capability over the other, and of course they appear from the beginning to be ‘fitted with’ and not ‘fitted for’ as has happened in the past.
And I’m also impressed with the construction plan, ASC Shipbuilding becomes a subsidiary of BAE (with the Government still having an interest), it puts the spotlight on BAE to perform and deliver, less chance of buck passing. And at the end of the program, ASC Shipbuilding returns to full Government ownership, including all of the IP, assets and equipment from the program.
Hopefully, and I’m sure it’s the plan, ASC Shipbuilding will then be in a position to have, not only the shipbuilding skills, but design skills that can be used again and again into the future.
Long way to go yet, the first of the Hunters is not due to be commissioned for about a decade, but the potential is there for when it comes time to replace the 3 DDGs (and then the 9 Hunters), we could well see another ‘evolution’ of the Hunter class used for both roles, we may well see a class of ship that is equally capable in ASW and AAW too.
I also think the current LNP Government should be congratulated to, in the last few years we’ve seen:
- The 2016 DWP and DIIP (probably one of the ‘better’ DWPs that I’ve seen for a long time)
- The (Continuous) Naval Shipbuilding Program
- Approval of 21 x Pacific Patrol Boats
- Approval of 12 x Future Submarines
- Approval of 12 x OPVs
- Approval of 9 x Hunter class FFGs, and
- Approval of 2 x Supply class AORs
- And of course funding for all of the various infrastructure upgrades for Industry and Navy
That’s 56 ships approved for Industry and Navy (yes of course the 2 x AORs are being built in Spain and the 21 x Pacific Patrol Boats are to be donated to our neighbours, but Australian industry will maintain them).
All of that stands in ‘stark’ contrast to the six years of the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Government, not one single ship ordered, not one, and of course not taking up the option of the 4th AWD too.
And on the infrastructure side, when all of the billions of dollars were being thrown around during the GFC (Pink Batts and unwanted School Halls come to mind), It would have been great if some of those dollars went into infrastructure upgrades at Techport, specifically increasing the size of the shiplift to potentially allow for the building of AOR or above size ships in the future.
Anyway, all water under the bridge (or shiplift) now.
I just hope in the years and decades ahead, regardless of which ‘flavour’ of Government we have, that they can still maintain a bi-partisan approach to Defence Policy and Defence Spending, as best as can be (and of course they will never agree on Education, Health, Taxation, etc, but that’s politics).
Cheers,
(PS, apologies in advance to the Mods, having been here a long time, I know that talking ‘politics’ is frowned upon, and I agree too. But I have tried to ensure my political comments/rant is very specific to Navy and Defence).