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Australian Navy To Spend A$11 Billion on New Ships
By REUTERS, CANBERRA
Australia will build a new fleet of advanced Spanish-designed destroyers and amphibious assault ships at a cost of A$11 billion ($9 billion), Prime Minister John Howard said June 20.
Howard said his government had agreed to buy three F100 air warfare destroyers at a cost of more than A$7 billion, to be built in Adelaide by Australian firm ASC, U.S. contractor Raytheon and Spanish government-owned Navantia.
The 6,000-ton warships will be equipped with advanced U.S. radars and may one day carry SM 3 missiles as part of U.S. and Japanese efforts to build a ballistic missile defense shield in Asia to guard against threats from rogue nations. Two 27,000-ton amphibious warships, also Navantia designs, would be built in Victoria state in partnership with Australian defense firm Tenix, with the first to enter service with the Royal Australian Navy by 2012, Howard said.
The purchases would transform Australia’s navy into one of the most powerful in the Asia region, with the two amphibious carriers able to carry more than 2,000 troops, 16 attack and transport helicopters and up to 23 tanks.
“The will greatly enhance Australia’s ability to send forces in strength when required, particularly in our own region, but not restricted to our own region,” Howard told a briefing.
The Navantia destroyer designs beat a larger and more costly rival U.S. design, while the amphibious warships were preferred over a smaller French design.
Australia has in recent years increased defense spending above A$20 billion a year amid growing instability in the Asia-Pacific, with a A$50 billion military buy-up already underway including advanced F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Canberra, a close U.S. ally, has around 1,500 troops in and around Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition, as well as a special forces task group in Afghanistan.
Australian troops are also taking part in security operations in East Timor, having been deployed to the country last year following an outbreak of ethnic bloodletting.
7 miliardi di dollari per 3 F-100? ma che diavolo ci stanno mettendo dentro? 4 miliardi per le BPE??
