CGI of the Type-26 with the Australian CEAFAR radar
Posted on 07/26/2017 4:13:16 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
[SYDNEY] Britain's defence secretary on Wednesday made a strong push to build Australia's next fleet of warships, saying the frigates he proposes are best placed to hunt "Russian and Chinese submarines" amid regional tensions.
Australia earlier this year detailed a massive A$89 billion (S$95.8 billion) shipbuilding strategy, including constructing new submarines and frigates, in the nation's largest peacetime naval investment.
The big increase in defence spending comes as Beijing flexes its muscle in the region through a military build-up in the contested South China Sea, and as tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon made the pitch to build the nine frigates as part of a A$35 billion project ahead of annual Australia-Britain defence and foreign minister talks in Sydney this week.
Three designers are vying for the massive contract - Britain's BAE Systems, Italy's Fincantieri and Spain's Navantia - which is described by Canberra as currently the world's largest frigate shipbuilding programme of its kind.
"You need in a region that is now as unstable and tense as it is, as you've decided, some anti-submarine hunting capability and the very latest capability," Mr Fallon told The Sydney Morning Herald.
He said the Type 26 Frigate - a class currently being constructed for the British navy - would be better than their Italian and Spanish rivals in hunting "Russian and Chinese submarines" in waters around Australia and the Pacific.
"The quietness of the ship, and the sophistication of the technology on it, puts it way ahead of any European offer you might be considering," said Mr Fallon.
(Excerpt) Read more at businesstimes.com.sg ...
CGI of the Type-26 with the Australian CEAFAR radar
I worked on an Australian navy contract proposal. It stated in the tender offer that no use of Australian labor or Australian flagged common carriers would be allowed. When I asked why, as this would lower costs, we were told that the labor situation was fraught with strikes, slowdowns and outright sabotage. The Australian Navy wanted the work done on schedule even though they would have to pay our employees to travel there and stay for the duration. (At the time, round trip air fare was $15,000US.)
My impression is that Australia is like England before Thatcher broke the unions. But I can see where the Australian government would face intolerable blowback from the public if they didn’t work out keeping some of the money at home.
Nice boat. I hear our LCS cannot do
much
I’ve wondered if a licensed copy of these would work for the new frigates that the navy wants to build in place of the failed Littoral Combat Ships?
The design is already there. US electronics could be swapped out. It’d be faster than developing a new design.
Yes, these ships are designed to be modular, so you could swap out/in systems.
Aussies were SO LUCKY to have avoided serious invasions by Bushido Japan.
I can understand the need for a number the LCS type vessels in confined areas like the Persian Gulf or coastal ASW but, they don’t appear to me to have enough range or armament to replace an actual frigate.
Another option might be a licensed copy of the South Korean Incheon class. I think the type 26 is a newer design though.
Much like the M247 Sergeant York, the US Military likes to ignore success and try to develop ‘stuff’ on our own, often failing. Germany had an excellent system with the Gepard which we could have licensed and built here, probably modified to fit on the common M48 chasis; it was never attempted. The project was wisely killed during the Reagan Administration.
*shrug* It would have broken the unions...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.