Changing from a British design to a Japanese one cannot by itself restore Australia's shipbuilding infrastructure. The argument links reduced Type 26 ambitions with the belief that Japanese ships would be cheaper to build locally. A Japanese design's price depends on the industrial system that builds it, so construction in Australia can still carry a restart premium. Cost comparisons also depend on whether they measure gross procurement cost or the value of keeping spending inside the country. Japan's yards remain active through merchant orders as well as warship construction, with an emphasis on complex commercial ships.
Notable Point · 55:51-58:12
Why restarting domestic warship construction carries a premium
Australia cannot reproduce Japanese shipyard costs merely by adopting a Japanese design because the price also reflects years of continuous industrial activity.