The Indo Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition will open its doors to a record number of defence industry businesses and international naval delegations in Sydney this week.

Navantia has presented new warship designs for consideration in the Royal Australian Navy’s future surface fleet. Unveiling the Tasman Class corvette at the Indo Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition, the 3,000-tonne design is based on the Alpha 3000 ships in service with Saudi Arabia. It boasts a crew of 90, a total capacity for 124 personnel, 16 VLS, four quad anti-ship missile launchers, close-in weapons systems, and a 57mm main gun. Additionally, Navantia is offering a heavier 3,700-tonne design and a Tier 1 Flight III destroyer, described as a “big brother” to the Hobart Class destroyer.

The Flight III design features options for directed energy weapons, 128 VLS, and a five-inch millennium main gun. All three designs have garnered significant interest at the exposition. In collaboration with Austal and Civmec, Navantia Australia aims to deliver six corvettes to meet the Navy’s urgent need for increased strike capability. These corvettes combine Tier 2 vessel maneuverability with major surface combatant weaponry, ensuring a smaller crew without compromising integrated warfare capabilities.

The proposal, named the Tasman Class corvette, was presented in response to the 2023 Defence Strategic Review. The three companies have been working on the proposal since November 2022, and it includes the integration of Saab Australian combat systems and CEA Technologies radars. The corvettes will be constructed in Henderson, Western Australia, leveraging existing infrastructure and a well-advanced design based on an operational reference vessel.

Austal’s CEO, Paddy Gregg, emphasizes the strategic importance of a national shipbuilding capability, and the proposed corvette program will establish a regional shipbuilding enterprise in Western Australia. The collaboration aims to consolidate resources and create a new warship construction hub, aligning with the recommendations of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review. The designs include NSM Anti Surface launchers, MK-41 vertical launch system cells, and existing Australian payloads.

With potential conflict brewing in the region, Ben Packham, The Australian’s renowned Foreign Affairs and Defence correspondent, unravels the $7.8 billion lethal weapon load-out that will keep Australia safe.

Gilad Erdan, the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, made a strong statement during an emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In his speech, he emphasized that the ongoing conflict in the region should not be framed as a war between Israel and the Palestinian people but rather as a conflict with the Hamas terrorist organization.

Erdan’s statement underscores the Israeli perspective that the primary adversary in this situation is Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and several other countries. According to this viewpoint, Israel is acting to defend itself against the actions of Hamas, which includes rocket attacks, terrorism, and other activities that threaten the security and well-being of Israeli citizens.

Erdan also expressed concerns that Hamas might be banking on international intervention through the United Nations to prevent Israel from defending itself. This concern reflects Israel’s stance that it has a right to self-defense in the face of threats from terrorist organizations, and it highlights their perspective that international responses should consider the broader context of the conflict and the actions of groups like Hamas.

The US Defence Department is expediting the delivery of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Australia, as a result of recent meetings between representatives from both nations earlier this month. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles held discussions with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III at the Pentagon on October 31, focusing on the United States-Australia alliance, the transfer of Black Hawks, and various foreign policy matters.

The Black Hawk helicopters are being introduced to replace Australia’s MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. This decision came after an MRH-90 helicopter crashed in Queensland during Exercise Talisman Sabre on July 28, leading to the grounding of the entire MRH-90 fleet.

US Secretary Austin expressed optimism about the future of the relationship, particularly in the realm of defence cooperation. He emphasized their shared vision for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region and their determination to make that vision a reality.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further enhancing defence cooperation, including collaboration on defence technology, force posture initiatives, and the trilateral AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom. They also celebrated recent announcements regarding the historic cooperation between Australia and Japan, exchanged views on shared security challenges, and discussed additional alliance initiatives to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. The two leaders also discussed the global security environment and shared their perspectives on the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Earlier this year, three new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, manufactured in the US, were delivered to Australia for use by the Australian Army. Two of these helicopters, built by Lockheed Martin, were transported to RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney on July 30 via a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport plane. These two helicopters are part of the initial batch of a total of 40 Black Hawk helicopters ordered by the Australian Defence Force. A third UH-60M Black Hawk arrived on August 4, also transported via a US Air Force C-17, as confirmed by a Defence spokesperson.

HI all,

Well, I have had my pacemaker fitted all is good, arrived home from hospital at 1:30 no pain thank goodness. I’m quite a bit tired very little sleep, so I’ll have an afternoon nap so I’m ready to watch some riveting TV tonight …haha. I have left arm in a sling and I’m not to reach above my shoulder for three weeks. Anyhow, I will be back at my desk tomorrow.

Cheers

Ray