Even though the government has failed to make a formal announcement, it has been known for some time that the proposed large Pacific Support Vessel will no longer be built in Australia but will be purchased overseas. During a previous Senate Estimates hearing, the RAN almost accidentally revealed the change of plan – and today they were compelled to admit under further questioning that a ship has already been bought for $88.4 million.
The 103-metre-long ship is anchored at the Canary Islands currently undergoing availability checks. According to the Chief of Navy, VADM Michael Noonan, the future Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Reliant will normally be based in Brisbane. This is because the ship’s usual area of operation will be the South West Pacific. The unannounced purchase was made in February.
It is believed that the vessel was formerly OSV Horizon Star and was built at Kleven Verft (now Green Yard Kleven) and designed by Marin Teknikk, both of Norway. The presumed intention is to have a ship able to perform humanitarian and disaster relief missions such as responding to the Tongan volcano eruption in a more cost efficient way than using one of the larger Canberra class LHDs.
The decision is a breach of the commitment made in 2018 by the government that the vessel would be built in Australia. The decision will disappoint the local shipbuilding industry, coming on top of the cancelled Attack class submarine project and delays to the Hunter class frigates.
(PHOTO: Australian Army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, conduct amphibious operations in Zodiac inflatable boats as a CH-47F Chinook helicopter takes-off from HMAS Canberra off the coast of Nomuka Island, Tonga, during Operation Tonga Assist 2022. Credit: CoA / Daniel Goodman)
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The very idea that the current coalition government has any creditably in the realm of defence of the nation is ridiculous. So much money spent, so much hype, and so little capability to show.
After SO MUCH tax payer money spent, do we have any new capability? Other than paying for discontinued contracts, with huge financial penalties, and pipe dreams of some next gen “star wars” hyper sonic some time down the track missile? All the bad decisions, in terms of actual capability in a timely manner, seem to be at the whim of jobs for mates, not the defence of our country. The RM Boxer decision, is just yet again another bad choice, that was very obvious to outside observer’s from very early on. How many years, how many millions have been spent on a simple task of a ATGW, and active self protection? TOTAL fail, that is no surprise to many. If only The Voting public had more knowledge.
I think the reduced visibility on the projects, decisions and issues (if any) has been a theme coming more from Govt for a while now as opposed to Defence. I’m not sure whether it’s a method of reducing the chance of negative criticism or just changing tactics in what it chooses to make public knowledge etc. Either way, it definitely reduces the level of transparency…
Yes – it is government / Peter Dutton policy. I printed part of a leaked memo last September detailing that no interviews were to be granted by any Defence people to the media – ever. Questions to be submitted only in writing and with answers to be limited to a single paragraph. It’s quite a Stalinist environment to be working in – by far the worst I have ever encountered. It’s also a self-defeating policy because it seeks to prevent anyone writing a positive story, it’s just all a wartime news blackout apart from the occasional self-serving leak to ‘The Australian’. Fortunately journalists are not completely without resources of their own, much to the irritation of the Minister’s office.
If the government considers it is beyond Australia’s ability to manufacture a single large pacific support vessel domestically how can dutton keep a straight face when announcing the countries plans to create their futuristic fantasy militarised space command defence. Without the political will to provide finance and develop infrastructure required to promote a manufacturing base australia will remain a slightly more developed third world primary producing economy without any vestige of self sufficiency or independence.
If the government considers it is beyond Australia’s ability to manufacture a single large pacific support vessel domestically how can dutton keep a straight face when announcing the countries plans to create their futuristic fantasy militarised space command defence. Without the political will to provide finance and develop infrastructure required to promote a manufacturing base australia will remain a slightly more developed third world primary producing economy without any vestige of self sufficiency or independence forever.
All the implicit promises of sovreign ship building, once again another lie to go with all the others. I dont like Navatias chances of a few more local builds.
On CNN it was reported that Australia was threatened by a missile attack by China. Why was the public not told this first by Australian authorities. We as a nation are very reliant on the American pacific fleet. It’s the only real help we can hope for unless Australian Governments get their act together. If not it’s not unfeasible to think we could, sooner than later be taking Chinese language lessons, by force
On CNN it was reported that Australia was threatened by a missile attack by China. Why was the public not told this first by Australian authorities. We as a nation are very reliant on the American pacific fleet. It’s the only real help we can hope for unless Australian Governments get their act together. If not it’s not unfeasible to think we could, sooner than later be taking Chinese language lessons, by force
I’m not familiar with the CNN report. I would be surprised if it has much substance.