The next bit is reprinted from the Advertisers letters page of Halloween 2014: IF the future frigates are to be built in Adelaide, and the ship chosen is the Type 26 Combat Ship, a new era in naval co-operation could begin.

The UK Navy are building 13 of these ships, with BAE doing much of the design work and Raytheon developing the navigation and bridge systems.

Both of these defence giants are at Osbourne. If BAE purchases the ASC it would make more sense for it to be building the same project here as in other parts of the world.

The true sweetener is that if (like the UK) we intend to keep the Type 26 in service till 2060, future decades might well see other such warships than just the Australian Navy’s chugging up the Port River for refurbishment.

I'm reading today how Defence Industries Minister Pyne has brought forward the Tendering call for the Future Frigates Program, assumably to give the SA Liberals some ammunition in the next State election.  It's almost sad that where once local defence announcements were made by our State's Premier they're now notches on the belt of the Member for Sturt.  Pyne is considering 3 options, and has looked at two, but doesn't seem to have yet been for a squizz at BAE's UK version for the possible partnership  a la the Joint Strike Fighter Program.

Maybe Pyne doesn't want to draw attention to the fact  that the Saudi are firing globally banned cluster munitions, stockpiled in the 80s from product by none other than Frigate contender BAE?  While Pyne's selling Aussie defence materiel to the Saudis?

Is Australia's current push for Saudi defence sales anything to do with recently-cancelled US deals?  If not, funny coincidence.. and meanwhile KBR, after freshly expanding SA's Techport Warship and Sub Factory, just need to sit back and wait for warfare to happen and the work come sailing in. Nice work if you can get it.