Page 30 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2019

Where to for
Navy given the forecast?
IT’S easy to get caught up on the tech- nology and the platforms that the RAN has on deck and is planning for; after all, they are the most tangible example of sea power. But they are tools to achieve aims under the direction of their operators at the behest of government. More attention has been paid to the economic side of De- fence capability in recent years, with more policy guidance around the nature of the relationship between Defence and indus- try. The balance between capability, eco- nomics and strategic policy is a tricky one with competing narratives.
Australia is not the first of the Five Eyes nations to adopt a two-shipyard approach for the building of minor and major surface combatants. There is a lot to be said for the economic rationalism of the approach and giving companies and workers certainty.
Having said that, it has been over 25 years since the Productivity Commission looked into the issue in any meaningful way. The numbers being put out by various state governments and prime companies come with their own narrative around value for money and strategic outcomes.
The current debate over where Collins class full cycle dockings should be con- ducted into the future is a good example of this. South Australia will be home of ma- jor surface combatant shipbuilding for the next two generations; does it really have the room and the workforce to also con- duct full cycle dockings for the Collins?
The SA government argues that it does but there is a strong case to move the pro- gram west before a substantial Collins life of type extension program gets underway. It may be a case of picking your battles;
KATHERINE ZIESING | CANBERRA
The strategic circumstances that Australia faces are ever changing. With a raft of shipbuilding programs on the horizon, the biggest in living memory, what situation will they face when they put to sea?
30 | October 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au