Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:23:18-2:23:28

Why Australia could have built more Hobarts

More than three Hobarts and low-rate production could have sustained an established warship program until Type 26 construction began.

Australian ShipbuildingContinuous ShipbuildingForce StructureHobart Class DestroyersIndustrial WorkforceNaval ShipbuildingProduction LinesProduction RateRoyal Australian NavyShipyard ContinuityType 26 Frigate
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Question

Should Australia have built six or twelve Hobart-class destroyers?

Short answer

There is a strong case for far more than three, with low-rate Hobart production continuing until Type 26 construction.

Notes

Australia had a strong case for building substantially more than three Hobart-class destroyers. The exchange does not endorse a precise total. Instead, it proposes keeping the yard in low-rate Hobart production until the Type 26 program begins. The answer treats force size and continuity of construction as connected decisions rather than isolated procurement batches.