A fair cost comparison must account for where Type 26 and Constellation-class frigates are built. Building either design in Australia requires the country to recreate facilities and skills after earlier programs relied heavily on foreign-built hulls. Importing hulls for local fitting-out would lower the immediate bill, but it would not preserve the same sovereign construction capability. Maintaining that capability also requires follow-on orders so the workforce and infrastructure do not decay again. The investment may strengthen the wider maritime labor and supplier base from which a future nuclear-submarine program must draw.
Notable Point · 11:53-18:35
Why sovereign shipbuilding costs more than importing hulls
Building Type 26 or Constellation-class frigates in Australia includes the cost of rebuilding yards, skills, and a continuing maritime industrial base.