Seems the French and the Spanish (and british) yards have simular problem in that they aren't getting quiet enough work through (although the goverments haven't been perfect in allowing that to happen either). This translates into is your ship building industry sustainable or not.
So both the French and the Spanish Im sure would be keen to please, and provide a few reasonable options if we were interested. Given both have pretty good supply, LHD's etc, they might concider moving one of the not so old ships to us and building a new one for themselves.
So in terms of aquisition we aren't up poo creek just yet, I would imagine that IOC within the RAN would be simular from any three of the nations offering solutions for us.
We are up poo creek in terms of capability right now. With ships that could be opened with a butterknife (and thats the good one!) and are essentially inoperaterable. Really all of this should have been happening while the LHD bid was getting up back in 07(?) Then we would have this capabilty right not and not have to scab off NZ, who lets be honest, doesn't really have much for us to scab. Not only that when we lobby for them to take a more active role we are going to be shakey ground given we are infact leaning on them for capability we should have 24/7 ourselves and is proberly more important than the F-111 capability gap.
I have doubts Spanish Armada sells any of Galicia or Castilla, not at low price, Castilla is full Command and Control, even for Nato rapid reaction force, Galicia is very used in all operations and exercises. And they need both, for example, today either Galicia or Castilla are joined in rapid reaction force of Nato, doing exercises near north african coast, together with the Principe de Asturias and the old Spanish Lst, which points the Lst is in good state.
Now, some people say something could be worked out, maybe, with the Spanish, what about a rapid lease of the Lst for some millions and start the design for a mini lhd, derived from the Canberra, from Navantia. But the fact they are deploying the Lst means they value it, and maybe even more after canibalizing the other decomissioned Lst.
Bay will be sold to the best offer, if Australia bid is smaller than Chilean or so. Maybe they sell it in Sotheby´s to the best pushed up offers in open room.
I wonder how the works for the Canberras are going in Australia, the electronics shouldnt be too far from ready, as the combat system Saab is previously developed with the Anzacs, comms and radar probably ready as off the shelf equipment. Maybe spend some money on speeding up the fitout, and get the Canberras in 2012.
Wrt humaniatarian assitance, i havent seen mentions to the Canterbury being useful in the earthquake, nor any of Manoora... needed to be sent for assitance for the Yasi cyclon.
