The Spanish are back with a whole delegation, including navantia, admiral from their navy and their trade minister.
I hate how they (media) rubbish the hunters. Again does the media expect Australia to overtake the uk type 26 program? But it would be good to commit to the next 3 Hunters.
Spain's still has 3 build plans and belives all 3 ships can be built by 2030.
I suspect they may need to pull resources from their frigate program, and I find it interesting the navy admiral has turned up, there may be some discussion around crewing and training.
Following the GFC Spain gutted their defence forces and associated industries, to rebuild they are prepared to delay and do without in exchange for getting others to pay for the rebuilding.
Here's the thing, we killed much of our own industry because it wasn't "efficient" or "value for money" to support it. Now, many of the very same people and groups who said this are pushing to spend tax payers money on propping up, subsidising and expanding the sovereign infrastructure and industrial capability of other nations to deliver the capability they chose not to support here.
It is not hard to keep continually building and maintaining ships and submarines, the key is, you do actually need to keep doing it. If we had active lines in Australia other nations would be asking us to fit their needs in, not the other way around.
Oh another point, anyone tried to buy a new car lately? We used to build them here, but now we wait for twelve months for them to come from overseas and pay top dollar. Same thing, same narrow minded cause.