This
article discusses the need to restart Australia’s merchant navy so that the Government would have some control over ships available to overcome embargoe/blockades, etc if things get nasty. It would be effective insurance for a nation that relies on SLOC’s.
I had forgotten about that program. To be honest if we think rebuilding the Navy is difficult, trying to do the same for the merchant fleet is an order of magnitude more complex. We are at the end of the food chain, and our costs are very high. At the risk of being contraversial, the maritime union, is one of the most agressive. The majority of our biggest industrial disputes have occured on the warves.
We used to have a merchant fleet, ANL, mentioned in the article. It didn't last very long once it was privatised.
I did see the Government has made the smallest of small steps towards this ambition, with a tender for three vessels. And a five year trial to see how it performs.
That said, our maritime trade is our archilles heel and I worry that this would cripple us early on in a conflict. (Thought bubble, what did people call their achilles tendon before Troy).
Rather than buy/contract ships and crew, the first step in my mind is to be able to protect key shipping laneways. If the route is safe, ships will come regardless of flag. If not they won't. The link between us and Singapore is perhaps the most important and it is a long and convoluted route. That's a lot of frigate work, in my mind more than 11 units. Perhaps autonomous ISR, ASW and mine avoidance drones will help.
Second step is to develop internal capacity and self reliance. We produce crude oil for instance, just not where we refine it, and we never developed the connection between the two, or the equipment to refine our type of oil. Its easier (and cheaper) to ship oil from the North West Shelf (and other areas) to Singapore for refinement, and then send the petrol and diesel from Singapore back to Sydney, than it is to supply directly to Gelong or Lytton. That model does not work as well in a deglobalised world. Maybe some coastal ships from WA to Vic/QLD could be useful. Those two refineries should be invested in to make them modern, efficient and compatible.
From a Defence perspective (rather than civilian), perhaps an RFA has merit. We will need fuel and supply tankers to support not just ships at sea but any amphibious/littoral force. Two oilers will not cut the mustard. The JSS vessels that were on the drawing board a while ago might come back into favour. These types of crew and vessels can be used to go get stuff in difficult places, and bring it back.
