Malinauskas to turn up pressure on Navantia air warfare destroyers

A bold proposal by a Spanish firm could become a reality in Adelaide, the Premier says.

Premier Peter Malinauskas would put high level pressure on the federal government to build three new air warfare destroyers in Adelaide if it accepts an audacious proposal by Spanish shipbuilders Navantia.

In a formal pitch to the Defence Department earlier this year, Navantia offered to build three new ships at a cost of $2bn each by 2030.

The company put forward three options for the project: constructing all ships in Spain, a hybrid build between Spain and Australia, or building all ships in Adelaide. The latter option would be slightly more expensive and take two years longer to complete.

The Australian reported navy officials are becoming increasingly supportive of the pitch to cover a possible capability gap caused by delays to the construction of nine Hunter-class frigates.

Mr Malinauskas declared Adelaide would be the “only logical choice” to build the ships, should the federal government accept Navantia’s proposal.

Premier Peter Malinauskas (middle) vowed to pressure the federal government to build the air warfare destroyers in Adelaide, if it accepted Navantia’s bid. Picture: Mark Brake

“We have the capability, we have the infrastructure and most importantly, we have the people,” he told The Advertiser.

“I will be advocating to the federal government in Canberra on behalf of the people in South Australia to ensure our state is in the best possible position to seize this opportunity.”

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, representing shipbuilders, supported the proposal as a major opportunity for SA workers and Australia’s sovereign capability.

“This could be a great outcome for Adelaide shipbuilders, who’ve endured years of uncertainty under the previous Liberal federal government,” state secretary Peter Bauer said.

“We’re really keen to work with the state and federal governments on rebuilding Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity and our domestic supply chains.”

Adelaide has experience building air warfare destroyers, as ASC and Navantia constructed three Hobart-class ships at Osborne.

The final ship was delivered to Defence in September 2020, but not without cost blowouts and delays, partly due to confusing Spanish technical documents and inadequate blueprints provided by Navantia.

Despite the complications, Adelaide’s workforce produced the country’s most advanced and lethal warships and sunk former defence minister David Johnston’s claims that ASC could not be trusted to build a canoe.

Three Hobart-class air warfare destroyers were built at the Osborne shipyard in Adelaide.

“We have done it before and I am supremely confident we could do it again,” Mr Malinauskas said on Navantia’s new proposal.

Former defence minister Stephen Smith and retired Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston are conducting a strategic review of Australia’s first military for the first time in a decade.

The comprehensive study will examine Defence’s structure and preparedness, offering recommendations in less than five months’ time.

When asked about Navantia’s proposal, Defence Minister Richard Marles said: “The Defence Strategic Review is currently ongoing, and as such we’re not about to pre-empt its findings.”

The Morrison’s government decision to dump the French submarine project for the AUKUS security pact has created concerns Australia’s navy will be underprepared to deal with growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific until the 2040s when the new nuclear submarines start hitting the water.

As part of Defence’s attempts to ease those concerns, the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers will undergo a major $5.1bn overhaul at Osborne, creating 300 jobs.

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Originally published as Malinauskas to turn up pressure on Navantia air warfare destroyers