‘They have never exported': Shots fired in bid to build new warships for Australia
Kiel, Germany: One of Germany's leading defence companies has ramped up its attempt to secure a $10 billion contract to build a fleet of warships for the Australian navy, taking aim at its Japanese rival as it offers to export Australian-made ships across the Indo-Pacific.
thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the defence division of German industrial conglomerate thyssenkrupp, is competing against Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build up to 11 general purpose frigates to replace the navy's ageing fleet of Anzac-class ships.
The Albanese government has said it will decide the winner by the end of the year, with the first ship to be delivered in 2029.
The government plans to buy the first three frigates from an overseas production line before constructing the remaining ships in Australia to accelerate the acquisition process.
Mitsubishi's Mogami 06FFM frigate is widely seen in defence circles as the more modern and advanced vessel, and the Japanese government is leaning heavily on its burgeoning strategic relationship with Australia to secure an advantage.
Meanwhile, TKMS is pitching its MEKO A-200 frigate as a tested and low-risk option that would avoid the cost blowouts and delays that have bedevilled recent navy projects such as the Hunter-class frigate program.
Speaking publicly for the first time about his company's bid, TKMS chief executive Oliver Burkhard told this masthead: 'I know our competitors. They have never exported in the past.'
By contrast, he said the German frigate was a 'wonderful concept' that had 'been proven several times'.
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