Image source: topwar.ru
Last year, the Australian military signed a contract with the Dutch company Damen for the construction of naval vessels, which amounted to $ 28 million. Unexpectedly, the newest tugs of the Royal Australian Navy, ordered from the Dutch, turned out to be made in China.
This is reported by the Australian television channel ABC News, referring to the documents in his possession.
They indicate that the first of the three port tugboats was built at the Damen factory located in Changde, Hunan Province, China, in late December. The fact that the ship was built in China was not widely publicized.
Image source: topwar.ru
The Australian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the tugboats are being built in China, followed by retrofitting in Vietnam. At the same time, the department insists that after the transfer to Australian customers, the vessels will not become part of the Royal Navy, but will be operated by a civilian operator.
Image source: topwar.ru
A representative of the Ministry of Defense told reporters that in exceptional cases, it is possible to recruit military personnel, for example, in emergency situations.
The Australian opposition reacted to the revelation, saying it had serious questions for Defense Minister Richard Marles.
Relations between Australia and China remain extremely tense. For example, this year, the Australian Armed Forces were on high alert for almost a month while the PLA conducted naval exercises near the territorial waters of Australia.
