Today we launch our special editorial series Land Forces 2022 with a look at the policies of the new federal government guiding Defence’s relationship with industry. In his first major interview, Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for international development & the Pacific, talks with Peter Roberts. Question: The coalition government from 2016…
Curious about what people were most interested in during the week just finished? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading. 1) A YEAR ON, THE SHAPE OF SUBMARINE CONSTRUCTION TAKING SHAPE A year on from the cancellation of contracts with French Naval Group to build conventionally powered submarines in Adelaide, and the announcement of…
By Peter Roberts A year on from the cancellation of contracts with French Naval Group to build conventionally powered submarines in Adelaide, and the announcement of the Aukus agreement, the shape of future submarine construction is taking shape. With neither the US or the UK having the capacity to build extra submarines for Australia despite…
Defence minister and deputy prime minister Richard Marles has given the strongest possible commitment that a future Australian nuclear submarine fleet will be built in Adelaide and not imported. In his first visit to a significant defence facility Marles yesterday toured the Osborne naval shipyard in Adelaide where he unequivocally committed to an Australian and…
With the construction of one type of submarines cancelled, and a second being investigated but not yet ordered, Michael Slattery says defence industry is getting nervous about investing in a perhaps uncertain future. Here he looks at how we got to where we are today, and what might be. In the late 1950’s and early…
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a final settlement with France’s Naval Group which cuts $2 billion from the expected cost of Australia’s decision to scrap the purchase of Attack class submarines from France. Albanese today announced Australia will pay Naval Group an $830 million settlement of the cancelled a $90-billion contract, bringing the estimated…
Today @AuManufacturing launches its new editorial series Excellence in maritime manufacturing coinciding with the Indo Pacific 2022 International Maritime Exposition. Maritime industries are booming as Australia builds new naval vessels at a rate unprecedented in peacetime. In a separate story Peter Roberts tours the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide, while here he sets the scene. Australia’s…
Defence minister Peter Dutton has refused to detail what portion of the government’s planned nuclear submarine fleet will be built in Australia. On a visit to Adelaide’s Osborne shipyard to announce an upgrade to the ageing Collins class submarines, the first questions asked of Dutton were about future shipbuilding jobs in South Australia. In a…
Independent Senator Rex Patrick has criticised an apparent backflip by the federal government in their plans to build nuclear powered submarines in Adelaide. According to a report in The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the nuclear submarines being acquired by Australia under the Aukus pact may be imported. Morrison appeared to say that…
By Peter Roberts Hot on the tail of a $4.3 billion promise to expand the Henderson maritime precinct in Perth, Adelaide has been offered a similar carrot with the federal government leasing a massive area for the expansion of the Osborne naval shipyard. The government has revealed it will lease an additional 45 hectares of…
