Latest news with #Anzac-class
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘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'.
The Age
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
‘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'.
South China Morning Post
06-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Sinking feeling: is Australia's navy ready for a Pacific conflict?
Australia 's navy has long played a crucial role in the defence of the island continent, whose 34,000km (21,000-mile) coastline is surrounded by the vast Pacific, Southern and Indian oceans and separated from Asia by a narrow strip of water. Advertisement But as the threat of conflict in the Asia-Pacific grows, the navy is confronting a 10-year capability gap. With an ageing fleet and dwindling firepower, it has become the focus of an increasingly acrimonious debate about how urgently Australia must prepare for war. 'Australia has no ability to wage a protracted conflict against a powerful adversary,' military historian John Storey told a recent Institute of Public Affairs seminar. 'We cannot replace equipment losses, manufacture our own munitions, we have no capability to ramp up our defence forces in a crisis. And we have minimal capabilities to operate independently of a powerful ally.' These concerns are amplified by a growing sense that time is running out. Amid mounting unease over the war clouds gathering in its neighbourhood and growing doubts about America's commitment to even its staunchest allies, Australia – and its navy in particular – is grievously unprepared should predictions of regional conflict prove prescient. Advertisement While the navy's personnel are highly trained, its fleet consists of only 10 surface combatants: three relatively new Hobart-class air defence destroyers and seven ageing multirole Anzac-class frigates.
Times of Oman
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Australia deploys warships and surveillance aircraft to track Chinese naval task groups near its waters
Canberra: The Australian Navy has deployed three ships and surveillance aircraft to "closely monitor" a Chinese task group operating "near Australia" since mid-February, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA). Richard Marles, also serving as deputy Prime Minister, stated on Thursday that the three Anzac-class frigates - HMAS Stuart, HMAS Warramunga, and HMAS Toowoomba - were tracking the Chinese warships, which were located approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) northwest of Perth, as reported by RFA. "From the moment this task force entered the vicinity of Australia, in an unprecedented manner, we have been observing their movements," Marles mentioned. "We intend to continue monitoring them as long as they remain in the vicinity of Australia," he added, as cited by RFA. The Chinese task group consists of the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, according to RFA. A report from RFA indicated that on February 21, they conducted a live-fire drill in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand on very short notice, leading airlines to reroute flights to avoid potential accidents. In response to Canberra's concerns, Chinese officials stated that the warships' operations "have consistently been conducted safely, in a standardized and professional manner, and in line with relevant international laws and practices," as reported by RFA. (ANI) While the Chinese vessels have the right to freedom of navigation under international law, analysts noted that China was signaling its capacity to project military power, as highlighted in the RFA report. "It is evident that China is utilizing this naval deployment of three ships to convey a strategic message to Australia and the wider region that China intends to extend its naval capabilities beyond its coastal waters and into the maritime zones of other countries," remarked Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, according to RFA.
