Rebuilding Australian and Canadian shipbuilding

Australia's recent high-end warship experience includes only three Hobart-class destroyers, despite the technology transfer involved. The Canberra-class hulls were built in Spain before final assembly in Australia. Against that limited domestic base, the current breadth of Australian construction is judged impressive, with Canada facing a similar rebuilding task. Buying ships abroad could lower the immediate price, but it would move employment and infrastructure investment to the supplier's country. The British production line is already full, so adding foreign-built ships also raises a capacity question. Domestic programme costs therefore have to be considered alongside the industry those programmes sustain.