Defence Minister has been in Australia this
week discussing defence equipment in the face of
intensifying threats.
Amongst the discussions was a meeting with her Australian
counterpart, Minister Christopher Pyne, who is responsible for
procurement for the country’s military.
Australia is the UK’s 13th biggest export market, with £8.6bn of
goods and services sold in 2015 and the Type 26 Global Combat
Ship has been shortlisted for Australia’s Future Frigate
programme.
The Type 26 is an advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate that
will provide essential protection to Britain’s nuclear deterrent
and new aircraft carriers.
Defence Minister said:
From the first world war to defeating Daesh in the Middle East
right now, the UK and Australia continue to fight side-by-side
for the values we both share.
In the face of mutual intensifying threats, the strong
relationship between our countries allows vital discussions
over how best to protect ourselves. As the Australian Navy
looks for a new frigate, the Type 26 is a very strong candidate
and I hope to see it form the backbone of our Five Eyes
partners’ navies for decades to come.
The visit to Australia comes shortly after Minister Pyne came to
London and met Minister earlier this month.
During his visit, BAE Systems announced that they had awarded a
further 15 manufacturing contracts to suppliers of the Type 26
programme. Not only did that increase the number of UK maritime
jobs supported by the programme to over 4,500, but it also
included contracts with two Australian companies, showing the
deepening co-operation between the British and Australian defence
industries.
On the flipside of the countries’ export relationship, the UK was
Australia’s fifth largest export destination in 2016, valued at
almost A$15bn. Whilst in the country, the Defence Minister viewed
a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle demonstration.
The Bushmaster protected vehicle, already in service with the
Australian Army, is manufactured by Thales Australia and is one
of two potential solutions under consideration as the UK looks
for another troop-carrying vehicle and protected battlefield
ambulance. A decision on the procurement, package two of the UK
‘Multi-Role Vehicle–Protected programme’ (MRV-P), is anticipated
next year.
Alongside Australian Defence Minister Pyne the Defence Minister
announced the intention to look at the feasibility of fitting a
cutting-edge Australian radar on future British warships. The
pair announced that a capability study to fit CEA Technologies’
‘CEAFAR’ radar to British ships will begin early next year at the
second Australia/UK Defence Industry Dialogue in Adelaide. The
radar is already in-service with the Australian Navy.
The Defence Minister also laid a wreath on behalf of the UK at a
Remembrance Sunday commemoration event in Canberra on Saturday.
