Labor’s plan for Navy ‘more than doubles’ number of surface combatants

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says Labor’s plan for the Australian Navy “more than doubles” the number of surface combatants which will be available to Australia. The Royal Australian Navy, after the completion of the additional vessels, will hold three Hobart class air warfare destroyers, six Hunter class frigates (reduced from nine), 11 new ‘off-the-shelf design’ general purpose frigates and six new large optionally crewed surface vessels to boost the long-range strike capacity, which also has autonomous capabilities. “Last week’s announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister and myself was the most consequential announcement for the surface fleet of the Navy since World War Two,” he said during Question Time on Monday. “It’s not just more vessels, it’s getting them faster. “Under the plan of those opposite when they were in power, we would have had one additional surface combatant vessel by 2034 – under our plan we’ll have four.”