Royal Australian Navy : News, Updates & Discussions.

[Picdelamirand-oil]

An example of ‘Navantia’ quality:

Le nouveau navire de guerre australien HMAS Stalwart tombe en panne et subit des réparations mécaniques d'urgence

The new Australian warship HMAS Stalwart breaks down and undergoes emergency mechanical repairs
In brief:
HMAS Stalwart, Australia's newest warship, is undergoing urgent repairs after breaking down in Darwin. The ship was commissioned less than three years ago.

What are the next steps?
The ship will now remain in Darwin for an extended port visit while Defence investigates the problem.

Australia's newest warship is undergoing emergency mechanical repairs to address ‘engine faults’, while the navy's only other supply ship is still out of service.

The ABC can reveal that HMAS Stalwart, which was commissioned less than three years ago, has extended a visit to Darwin Harbour as Defence investigates the extent of problems on board.

HMAS Stalwart is the second and final Spanish-built auxiliary refuelling vessel (AOR) for the Royal Australian Navy. It is intended to carry fuel, ammunition and other supplies for deployed combat forces, as well as providing logistics.

Last year, the ABC revealed that major mechanical problems had also been discovered on board its sister ship, HMAS Supply, which was transported to the Garden Island naval base in Sydney for warranty repairs.

At a Senate estimates hearing earlier this month, senior naval officials revealed that HMAS Supply could remain out of service for another year, having already been sidelined for 14 months.

‘I don't want the commission to get the wrong idea, I'm not happy with the availability of this ship,’ said Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, head of the navy, when asked about the AOR ship built by Spanish company Navantia.

‘This is a complex defect. Navantia has written to the department to accept responsibility, it will be repaired under warranty,’ the head of the navy confirmed at his deposition on 6 June.

Following questions from ABC this week, the MoD confirmed that HMAS Stalwart, which was commissioned seven months after HMAS Supply in November 2021, is also experiencing engine problems.

‘HMAS Stalwart has extended a port visit to Darwin to investigate engine faults that became apparent during the passage to Darwin. The crew is being supported by contractors,’ a Defence spokesman told ABC.

‘The extent and cause of the necessary repairs are being investigated,’ the spokesman added.

Defence figures familiar with the situation say HMAS Stalwart is experiencing huge technical problems and could be in as bad a state as HMAS Supply.

‘She needs emergency repairs to return to her home port of Perth,’ a defence source told ABC on condition of anonymity.

Spain's Navantia is among the international defence companies shortlisted to supply the Australian navy's new fleet of multi-purpose frigates, worth between $7 billion and $10 billion.

The Spanish shipbuilder has already supplied the three Hobart-class air warfare destroyers, as well as the two Canberra-class landing helicopter docks, which have also faced long-standing problems with their propulsion systems.

Last year, the ABC also revealed that sailors serving aboard HMAS Supply and HMAS Stalwart were being forced to drink bottled water after a plumbing contamination problem was discovered on board the ships.

 

[Gautam]

The Australian Navy has been left with just one fully operational submarine

 

[Ashwin]

Australia’s next frigates to come from Japan or Germany​

Japan is one of two finalists in the competition to build Australia’s next general-purpose frigates, in what could potentially be one of the biggest contracts ever for the country’s fledgling defense industry.

The upgraded Mogami class from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Meko A-200 from Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems have been shortlisted over Spanish and South Korean contenders for the next round of a multibillion-dollar program to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s aging Anzac-class warships, sources said.

Several Australian media confirmed the decision by Australia’s National Security Committee, adding that final selection is expected next year, although it is unclear whether this will happen before or after a general election that is due by May.

Should Japan win the contract, it would not only mark a major breakthrough for the country’s defense industry but also substantially deepen military and industrial cooperation between Tokyo and Canberra at a time when the quasi-allies are gearing up to expand ties across the board amid shared security concerns.

The Mogami frigates, a first variant of which is already in service with the Maritime Self-Defense Force, had been identified in a February report by the Australian government as one of up to five “exemplars to form the basis of a selection process.” Also identified at the time were South Korea’s Daegu-class FFX Batch II and III and Spain’s Navantia ALFA 3000.

The Australian Navy is seeking between seven and 11 general-purpose frigates optimized for undersea warfare under “Project Sea 3000.”

The move is also part of Canberra’s efforts to more than double the size of the country’s surface combatant fleet to address potential threats farther away from national borders.

Among the broad requirements are the vessels’ ability to carry a combat helicopter, deploy lightweight torpedoes and feature air defenses as well as maritime and land strike capabilities, while also maintaining smaller crews than the Anzac frigates it commissioned in the 1990s and early 2000s.

To get the frigates as quickly as possible — the first one needs to be in the water by 2029 — the three initial vessels would be built overseas in the yard of the designer, while manufacturing of the remaining ships would transition to Henderson in Western Australia.

Project Sea 3000 is budgeted to cost between 7 billion (about $4.66 billion) and 11 billion Australian dollars over the next decade, although final figures have yet to be released.

“This is a major project with significant funding and would be a major export opportunity for the Japanese industry,” said Peter Dean, a professor at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre.

That said, Japan faces formidable competition from Germany, which has more experience in defense sales and program management with other countries.

“The Germans are definitely the better-known provider,” said Euan Graham, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, noting that Australia’s relationship with Germany on naval surface combatants goes back to the Anzac frigates. The Meko A-200 is an evolution of that Anzac class, meaning that its selection would ensure continuity.

Graham also noted that the weapon systems used by the Germans would be easier to integrate for the Australians, as they'd already be up to U.S. and NATO standards.

“From that point of view, Germany would be a more tried and tested commercial exporter,” he said.

Moreover, Australian media have reported that the Meko A-200 is likely to be “considerably cheaper than Japan’s initial proposed price,” although this has yet to be confirmed.

Still, the multimission Mogami frigates are highly capable warships, featuring cutting-edge tech and capabilities.

These vessels, which are difficult to detect by radar thanks to their stealthy hull shape, can be operated with half as many crew members as general-purpose destroyers, all the while fulfilling similar roles. They can be deployed on a variety of missions, including warning and surveillance, anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, as well as minesweeping operations.

Analysts say the final decision will be as much about the warships’ capabilities as about the partnership proposal, including aspects such as contracting, cost, build speed, intellectual property transfer and a genuine program for the vessels’ co-development, delivery, sustainment and maintenance.

But there is another important factor that could tilt the balance in the Mogami’s favor: geopolitics, or rather Canberra and Tokyo’s willingness to further deepen military and defense-industrial ties.

The partners are not only boosting joint training and interoperability, but also cooperating on defense-research projects and putting consulting mechanisms in place to handle contingencies while doubling down on their alliance with Washington and other regional partnerships.

“I believe Japan’s bid would offer more strategic advantages,” Dean said.

Graham had a similar view, noting that if all the other factors are equal, then the geopolitical context will “add extra weight.”

“And among all the countries bidding, Japan has the closest government-to-government, defense and security relationship with Australia,” he said.