Australia navy to buy $9 billion warship fleet

Canberra, June 20: Australia will build a new fleet ofadvanced Spanish-designed destroyers and amphibious assault ships at acost of A billion (9 billion dollars), Prime Minister John Howardsaid today.

Howard said his government had agreed to buy three F100 airwarfare destroyers at a cost of more than A billion, to be built inAdelaide by Australian firm ASC, US contractor Raytheon and Spanishgovernment-owned Navantia.

The 6,000-tonne warships will be equipped with advanced US radarsand may one day carry SM 3 missiles as part of US and Japanese effortsto build a ballistic missile defence shield in Asia to guard againstthreats from rogue nations.

Two 27,000-tonne amphibious warships, also Navantia designs, wouldbe built in Victoria state in partnership with Australian defence firmTenix, with the first to enter service with the Royal Australian Navyby 2012, Howard said.

The purchases would transform Australia's navy into one of themost powerful in the Asia region, with the two amphibious carriers ableto carry more than 2,000 troops, 16 attack and transport helicoptersand up to 23 tanks.

''The will greatly enhance Australia's ability to send forces instrength when required, particularly in our own region, but notrestricted to our own region,'' Howard told a briefing.

The Navantia destroyer designs beat a larger and more costly rivalUS design, while the amphibious warships were preferred over a smallerFrench design.

Australia has in recent years increased defence spending aboveA billion a year amid growing instability in the Asia-Pacific, witha A billion military buy-up already underway including advanced F-35Joint Strike Fighters.

Canberra, a close US ally, has around 1,500 troops in and aroundIraq as part of the US-led coalition, as well as a special forces taskgroup in Afghanistan.

Australian troops are also taking part in security operations inEast Timor, having been deployed to the country last year following anoutbreak of ethnic bloodletting.

Reuters
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