The Australian government has approved a new plan for the development of naval shipbuilding, which, in particular, involves investments in the industry in the next ten years in the amount of about 159 billion US dollars. This was announced on Thursday, December 26, according to Naval Today .
The plan provides for a 30-year cycle of projects to build ships and maintain their combat capability. We are mainly talking about production facilities in South and Western Australia, where the assembly of multi-purpose nuclear submarines will be launched as part of the AUKUS international partnership and new high-capacity ships.
Sydney Missile Destroyer (Hobart Class), Australia
News.com.au
The document published by the authorities also provides for a more than twofold increase in the surface combat fleet compared to previous plans. In addition to the six Hunter-class frigates already ordered, which are still being prepared for production in Adelaide, Canberra intends to build new multi-purpose frigates, as well as destroyers.
In addition, it is planned to build medium and heavy amphibious assault ships for the Australian army as part of the transformation, which will allow the military not only to maneuver in the coastal zone, but also to strike land and sea targets.
These programs will form a portfolio of naval construction projects that will provide about 8,500 jobs in shipbuilding by 2030, as well as an additional 20,000 jobs over the next 30 years.
The Government is also working on detailed design and implementation of multibillion-dollar projects to modernize the infrastructure of Australia's shipbuilding base, including a new production complex in Henderson (Western Australia) and a shipyard for the construction of nuclear submarines in Osborne (South Australia).
"The long-term investments envisaged in the naval shipbuilding plan reflect the government's vision for the continuity of production processes and our commitment to ensuring the safety of Australians," said Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
According to him, the approved plan involves the construction and modernization of more than 70 ships and vessels in South and Western Australia.
Recall that in September 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the creation of a new security partnership – AUKUS. As part of the agreement, Canberra, in particular, decided to build at least eight multipurpose nuclear submarines using technologies transferred by Washington and London, as well as to re-equip its armed forces with American cruise missiles. The creation of this alliance resulted in the termination of agreements with France for the supply of Attack-class diesel-electric submarines.
In October 2023, the British company BAE Systems won a contract worth 4 billion pounds for the design of multipurpose nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS partnership.
The new submarines will join the Australian Navy approximately no earlier than the 2040s. In the spring of 2023, it was reported that Washington was ready to supply Canberra with up to five Virginia-class multipurpose submarines to support the ally. Later, they approved the delivery of three submarines of this class in the first half of the 2030s.
