Posted on 04/13/2018 9:26:42 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
“I said to the governor of Wisconsin that getting Fincantieri to invest in our states was the best thing we ever did as governors,” says Jennifer Granholm, who was a two-term governor of Michigan until she left office in 2011.
Her story, and that of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in America, which now builds the US Navy’s littoral combat ships and has been “down selected” (as the military puts it) to the final shortlist to build the navy’s new frigates, is acutely relevant to one of the most important decisions the Turnbull government will make.
In the coming month or six weeks, Canberra will decide whether Fincantieri, Spain’s Navantia or Britain’s BAE will build Australia’s nine new anti-submarine warfare frigates. The choice of ship is a crucial factor in whether Australia can develop a credible capability in this critical high-end war-fighting domain.
Submarines are the most lethal maritime weapon. ASW ships, as well as having your own submarines, are the most credible response. The Australian ASW tender — at a total value of $35 billion — is the biggest and most important military contract at play in the world today.
For Australia, it is crucial in two dimensions. Beyond the military importance of ASW ships, the frigate program will determine whether Australia can really develop a serious, sustainable naval shipbuilding industry.
I am in Italy for a few days, looking at Fincantieri, the biggest shipbuilder among the three bidders (although BAE is a bigger company). Fincantieri’s revenue last year was more than €5bn (about $8bn). It is offering Canberra its own ASW frigate, the FREMM. I spent a day on the Italian Navy’s newest ship, ITS Luigi Rizzo, the sixth of 10 frigates Fincantieri is building for the navy.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.com.au ...
The best feature of all Fincantieri warships is that they all come with a Lido deck!
and a Super Rapido gun..
Thank you! :-)
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