{"id":15814,"date":"2024-02-20T12:48:08","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T12:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/20\/australia-unveils-plan-for-largest-navy-buildup-since-world-war-ii\/"},"modified":"2024-02-20T12:48:08","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T12:48:08","slug":"australia-unveils-plan-for-largest-navy-buildup-since-world-war-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/20\/australia-unveils-plan-for-largest-navy-buildup-since-world-war-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia unveils plan for largest navy buildup since World War II"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Australia on Tuesday announced plans to build its largest navy since World War II, allocating more than $35 billion for the defense project over the next 10 years, in a move analysts said pointed to heightened tensions with China in the Indo-Pacific. <\/p>\n

According to a government statement, the plans will see the Royal Australian Navy boost its fleet of major surface warships to 26 in total after an independent review led by a retired US Navy admiral found \u201cthe current and planned surface combatant fleet is not appropriate for the strategic environment we face.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cA strong Australia relies on a strong navy, one that is equipped to conduct diplomacy in our region, deter potential adversaries, and defend our national interests when called,\u201d Australian Chief of Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond said in the statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe size, lethality and capabilities of the future surface combatant fleet ensures that our navy is equipped to meet the evolving strategic challenges of our region.\u201d <\/p>\n

The plan to bolster the fleet\u00a0includes 20 destroyers and frigates, and six Large Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels (LOSVs), that can operate with sailors aboard or independently as drones. <\/p>\n

Those surface vessels will join a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines Australia plans to build under the AUKUS pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, the first three of which are expected to be delivered early next decade. <\/p>\n

The independent review noted Australia had\u00a0\u201cthe oldest fleet Navy has operated in its history,\u201d according to the government statement. <\/p>\n

And analysts said the security environment in the region \u2013 where\u00a0rival China has built up the world\u2019s largest navy and is asserting its territorial claims in disputed waters \u2013 meant Australia had to act. <\/p>\n

Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said increasing\u00a0the Australian fleet\u2019s size \u201cis essential if there\u2019s a need for capacity to match the growing set of mission requirements, especially projecting presence across the Indo-Pacific.\u201d <\/p>\n

While there is no mention of China in the buildup plan, the review commission said the future surface fleet needed the ability \u201cto support critical activities, including patrolling our northern approaches, close escort and theatre sea lift missions.\u201d <\/p>\n

And analysts pointed to possible threats from China. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt probably signals how concerned both the government and defense are about our strategic circumstances,\u201d Jennifer Parker, adjunct fellow in naval studies at UNSW Canberra, said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many saying that for the period of the latter 2020s, we are entering a period of risk in the Indo-Pacific and that\u2019s generated by China\u2019s increased aggression in both the South China Sea and Northeast Asia,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Period of risk<\/h2>\n

Upon completion in the mid-2040s, the naval buildup would yield a fleet with the country\u2019s three current Hobart-class guided-missile destroyers, which will get upgrades to their air defense and strike systems; six new Hunter-class frigates with anti-submarine warfare as well as strike capabilities; 11 new general purpose frigates for air defense, strike and escort duties; and six of the new LOSVs, which would each have 32 Vertical Launching System (VLS) cells for missiles. <\/p>\n

An additional 25 smaller vessels will be used for offshore patrol and maritime security duties, the government said. <\/p>\n

Noting the urgency to improve the country\u2019s surface fleet, the government said the first of the 11 general purpose frigates would be built on an existing design imported from Japan, South Korea, Germany or Spain, with work later transitioning to an Australian shipyard. <\/p>\n

In the ABC interview, Parker noted that there was a \u201cperiod of risk\u201d for Australia in the plan, in that some older ships will be retired before new ones come online. <\/p>\n

John Bradford, Council on Foreign Relations international affairs fellow, said Australia would need to be steadfast in sticking with the plan. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan is realistic so long as the Australian government sustains its commitment to this effort,\u201d said Bradford, who added that the first of the Hunter-class frigates, which he called the \u201cpremier system\u201d in the plan, will not join the fleet until 2032. <\/p>\n

Opposition criticism<\/h2>\n

Opposition lawmaker Andrew Hastie, shadow minister for defense, criticized the buildup\u2019s timeline. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t see a ship in the water until 2031, assuming this plan stays to timeline. It does not meet the urgent strategic challenges posed by this dangerous world,\u201d Hastie told reporters. <\/p>\n

Analysts said when the ships do come online, they will need sailors to crew them, something that\u2019s not guaranteed. <\/p>\n

\u201cEven with high levels of automation found on these planned new build ships, what about crewing? Will (the navy) face a manpower challenge in manning this expanded fleet?\u201d Koh asked. <\/p>\n

But the government said the buildup \u201crequires a minimal increase to crew complement due to a rationalization of crew sizes and an increased reliance on technology and automation.\u201d <\/p>\n

In its announcement Tuesday, the government also touted the economic benefits of the buildup. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis investment provides a clear pathway for the shipbuilding industry and workforce in South Australia and Western Australia,\u201d the release said. <\/p>\n

Pat Conroy, minister for defense industry, said shipbuilding would create 3,700 jobs in the next 10 years and thousands more down the line. <\/p>\n

However, the opposition Greens party called the plan a \u201cmulti-billion-dollar mistake\u201d driven by local political concerns to protect shipbuilding jobs \u2013 and political ones. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how many times Defence leadership fails, both overcharging and underdelivering, they keep their jobs and get rewarded with billions more public dollars,\u201d Greens defense spokesperson Sen. David Shoebridge said in a statement. <\/p>\n\n

This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Australia on Tuesday announced plans to build its largest navy since World War II, allocating more than $35 billion for the defense project over the next 10 years, in a move analysts said pointed to heightened tensions with China in the Indo-Pacific. According to a government statement, the plans will see the Royal Australian Navy <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":15815,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15814","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}