Spanish shipbuilder’s pitch on destroyers

Spanish shipbuilding giant Navantia has launched a pre-election pitch to build the Australian ­Defence Force three more of its air warfare destroyers within a decade.

Peter Dutton and Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh at the opening of the Navy Guided Weapons Maintenance Facility in western Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

Spanish shipbuilding giant Navantia has launched a pre-election pitch to build the Australian ­Defence Force three more of its air warfare destroyers within a decade, in a plan that would dramatically expand the nation’s long-range strike capability.

The company said the extra Hobart-class ships, which could be built for an estimated $2bn each, would fill an urgent capability gap by doubling the number of guided missile platforms that Australia could put to sea in a conflict.

The proposal comes as the government announces the fast-tracking of new air and sea-launched missile purchases in recognition of the nation’s urgent strategic need for more long-range standoff weapons.

Navantia has floated the idea with both the Coalition and Labor, arguing that the ships would be completed before the first of the ADF’s troubled Hunter-class frigates enters service.

“Navantia could build and deliver three additional Hobart-class destroyers for the Royal Australian Navy by the end of this ­decade,” Navantia Australia managing director Israel Lozano Barragan told The Australian.

“These vessels would bridge an important capability gap this decade, augment and where necessary replace the ageing Anzac-class frigates and allow the Hunter-class frigates to continue their ­development.

“The additional Hobart-class destroyers could be built in Australia, in Spain or in a hybrid model across both countries depending on the capacity of Osborne shipyard to absorb the work.

“This flexibility is given to protect the Hunter-class frigates’ production program.”

Australian Strategic Policy ­Institute executive director Peter Jennings said there was “real merit” in the proposal, which would give the navy an extra 48 vertical missile launch boxes per boat. He called for whichever party was in government after the election to “do a Brendan Nelson” by forcing the procurement, as the former defence minister did with the Super Hornets when it became clear the F-35s would be delayed.

Opposition defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor said Labor would consider producing more of the guided missile platforms as part of a wider capability review if it won government in May. “If elected, federal Labor will look at our capabilities with the aim of closing the gap created under the Morrison government, including consideration of additional Hobart-class air warfare destroyers,” he said.

Mr O’Connor cautioned that specific defence procurement proposals could be made only from government, with the benefit of expert and detailed advice.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the government’s move to lift Defence spending to 2 per cent meant “we are able to consider new capability options in line with our strategic priorities”.

Despite the government’s warnings of unprecedented strategic risks and its efforts to establish a continuous naval ship­building enterprise, a senior government source suggested ­Adelaide’s Osborne shipyards would struggle to find sufficient space or skilled workers to build the proposed destroyers.

The source said the navy would also have difficulty in crewing the vessels if they were built because of ongoing problems in attracting young Australians to ADF careers.

Mr Jennings said it was “a tragedy” that just as Australia had ironed out problems in the AWDs after building three of the them, their construction was halted.

“Brendan Nelson really forced the Super Hornet acquisition on to Defence because he thought we needed to get a capability into service sooner,” he said. “I think there is a parallel here with the Hunter-class … so we are going to need a minister who is prepared to do a Brendan Nelson and make that decision for Defence if Defence can’t make it itself.”