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Australian Embassy, Lisbon
Press Release - 21 June 2007
Australian Navy Chooses Spanish Design for its $3 billion Amphibious Ships
The Royal Australia Navy (RAN) has selected a Spanish design for its latest lots of warships - including an $11 billion package for destroyers and amphibious landing ships.
Announcing the successful tender for the navy’s Amphibious Warships Acquisition Program, the Australian Defence Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, said in Canberra this week, that the joint tender for design by the Spanish company, Navantia and subsequent construction by Australia's largest locally-owned defence and technology contractor, Tenix Pty Ltd, was the RAN’s preferred option.
Dr Nelson said that the $3 billion package for two amphibious transport ships would equip the Australian navy with one of the largest and most-advanced amphibious deployment systems in the world.
The Navantia design featured a 27,000 tonne vessel based on the Juan Carlos class of landing ship, which could carry six helicopters, heavy landing vehicles and more than 1000 troops.
The Australian Defence Department would now start negotiations with Tenix leading to a contract for delivery of the ships between 2012 and 2014. Dr Nelson said that the construction of the amphibious ships would take place in Spain and Australia.
Dr Nelson said that the ships would greatly enhance Australia’s ability to deploy forces in strength when needed or to provide assistance in time of natural disaster.
With their integrated helicopters and watercraft, the ships will be able to land more than a thousand personnel by sea and air, along with vehicles, including the Army’s new Abrams tanks, artillery and supplies. Each ship would also be equipped with medical facilities, including two operating theatres and a hospital ward.
“Much of the vessels’ combat and communications systems integration and installation - the ‘smart stuff’ – would be done by Australian industry,” Dr Nelson said.
“This would make the most of project opportunities in Australia’s leading edge technologies – electronics, systems engineering and integration, and design development.”
The Australia Government also chose a Navantia design for its Air Warfare Destroyer plan,
which included an $8 billion package for three of the 6,250 tonne destroyers. The state of the art F100 destroyer featured the US Aegis combat System, 48 vertical missile launchers, deck guns and harpoon guided missiles. The first of these destroyers was expected to enter service in 2014.
Canberra
21 June 2007