Government shortlists frigate builders – but will they build locally?

The federal government has down-selected two shipbuilders, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, to progress designs for Australia’s future general purpose frigates under the SEA 3000 programme.

In May, Defence released an approach to market to five shipbuilders, with Defence now planning to work with the two industry partners to further develop the proposals for the Mogami (pictured) and MEKO A-200 frigates.

Up to eleven general purpose frigates will replace the Anzac Class frigates and will be equipped for undersea warfare and local air defence in order to secure maritime trade routes and Australia’s northern approaches.

The first three of the small sized warships will be built overseas, however today the government did not repeat earlier understandings that the remainder would be built in Perth by shipbuilder Austal.

In today’s announcement the government said: “The first three general purpose frigates will be built offshore and, successful and timely consolidation of the Henderson precinct will enable the remainder of the build to be constructed locally at Henderson.

“The construction of general purpose frigates at the Henderson Defence Precinct is part of the Albanese Government’s plan to invest tens of billions of dollars in defence capabilities in Western Australia over the next two decades, supporting in the order of 10,000 well-paid, high-skilled local jobs.”

In October the government announced an initial investment of $127 million over three years to progress planning, consultations, preliminary design and feasibility studies as well as enabling works for the precinct.

The Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: “The government is committed to ensuring our Navy is equipped with a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet, and the general purpose frigate programme is a key aspect of this.

“Navy’s future fleet will constitute the largest number of surface combatants since World War Two, and will be integral to ensuring the safety and security of our sea lines of communication and maritime trade.”

The government is investing up to $55 billion over the decade, including up to $10 billion for the general purpose frigates, to more than double the size of Navy’s surface combatant fleet compared with the former government’s plan.

The Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy said: “The rapid, accelerated work of the general purpose frigate program to date underpins the next stages of the acquisition to ensure this capability is delivered this decade, providing our Navy with enhanced anti-submarine and anti-air warfare capabilities.”

Further reading:
WA defence precinct to deliver continuous naval shipbuilding
Defence ensures future of Austal and its Henderson shipyard

Picture: Defence/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/Mogami frigate by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries conducting its first sea trial in Nagasaki Port in 2021