Jura The idiot
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related to the post right above is
Australia officially announces $26B frigate contract. Here are the build details
Australia officially announces $26B frigate contract. Here are the build details
Australia nine high-end anti-submarine warfare frigates from the end of the next decade under a deal with BAE Systems worth AU$35 billion (U.S. $26 billion).
The announcement was formally made Friday at the ASC shipyard in Osborne, South Australia, by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Defence Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne.
A version of BAE Systems’ City-class Type 26 ASW frigate, now under construction for the British Royal Navy, will be acquired under Australia’s SEA 5000 Phase 1 project, also known as the Future Frigate Project.
Referred to as the Global Combat Ship―Australia, or GCS-A, during the competition, the design will be known as the Hunter-class in Royal Australian Navy service and will replace the Navy’s existing Anzac-class frigates.
There has been speculation in the media that the decision to go with BAE may be driven, in part, by Australia’s desire to secure strong terms with the U.K. as it negotiates a series of new trade agreements .
Payne noted Friday that the GCS-A design was selected because it was the most capable ASW platform.
“This is a decision entirely based on capability, the best capability to equip the Navy in anti-submarine warfare,” she said.
Regardless, news of BAE’s win was welcomed in the United Kingdom, with Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson referring to it as the “biggest maritime defence deal of the decade.”
“This £20 billion ‘deal of the decade’ demonstrates how British defence plays a huge role in creating jobs and prosperity and is ‘Global Britain’ in action,” he commented on social media. “Great to see our military and industrial links strengthen with Australia.”
The ships will be built by ASC Shipbuilding in South Australia, using local workers and Australian steel, under the Turnbull government’s continuous naval shipbuilding program.
“What we are doing here is announcing our commitment to build the nine Future Frigates,” Prime Minister Turnbull said. “The Hunter-class frigates will be the most advanced anti-submarine warships in the world.”
