Aussies question warship plans

Australian defense officials may have thrown a wrench into government plans to build new warships in the country.

In a submission to a Senate panel, the Defence Department (DP) said there was no strong strategic reason for building the ships in Australia and that doing so could have a negative effect on the national economy. Given the competition for scarce, skilled resources, these may be better focused on non-defense projects aimed at the long-term good of the nation and wealth generation rather than being employed in any new ship construction.

The DP considers that a major weakness in the shipbuilding industry is that management teams are thinly resourced to take on the major projects foreshadowed by government.

Defence industry is already having difficulty in maintaining its skilled workforce as the demand for skilled personnel competes directly with the demands of the mining and construction sectors.

The federal government plans to build a number of new ships over the next decade, including three destroyers and two large amphibious vessels. A commitment to build the destroyers in South Australia has been made, but the question of where the amphibious ships would be built is still a matter of conjecture. The DP believes the country’s maritime industry could be better used for repair, maintenance and refitting of vessels instead of building new ones.