Not too many surprises for those of us that follow the project.
A few points that the article missed: again the ship is billions not millions over budget. See the links below.
The ship has to actually qualify as a weapon of war. That is far off. Hard to do with an obsolete ship design.
I don't mind paying 30 to 40 percent more for a home build (not counting cost over-runs) if the program management skilling is sound; can be part of a continuous build and has a solid sustainment path.
Better to spend as much of the money here in-country, as possible.
The continued path of sending more and more billions per year overseas to foreign defence contractors isn't good for the economy or a solid defence plan.
The naval alliance responsible for building three multi-billion-dollar warships feared the large number of defects found so far had damaged its reputation, leaked Defence documents reveal.
A summary of "program issues/disappointments" obtained by the ABC offers a blunt assessment of the government-owned Australian Submarine Corporation's (ASC) work on the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program.
An inspection of the first ship's mast in late 2014 "returned ASC to the starting point of poor finishing quality", the report found.
Its cable and combat systems showed "numerous defects" and this was described as a "repeat problem".
Also of concern were "ongoing weld failures of brazed pipe unions" and these would need to be replaced on HMAS Hobart, the first of three warships in the AWD fleet.
The second ship, HMAS Brisbane, "suffered large volumes" of defects that would require "significant rework".
It acknowledged that ASC was "progressing well to a revised plan" but concluded: "The ship managers realise the deficiency is harming their reputation, and program cost and schedule."
I would suggest if one is worried about their "reputation" that someone might want to stop being a coward, and demonstrate real leadership. This would have prevented a lot of problems at the beginning of the program. Really, there is half a ton of documentation on how to evaluate risk and run projects...in the government bureaucracy. If one can read, the resources already exist. But no, key people pay more attention to rent-seeking and their career.
King had no business helping to give this project a first pass.
This is also a result of people that actually know things based on years of experience, forced out of Defence (the 1990's purge) leaving unskilled generalists to make most of the decisions.
Independent experts warned on this project by asking: "Why are we doing this?"
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-New Defence White Paper fails to address Australia's core security needs
-2009 Defence White Paper Fantasy
-Analysing "The ADF Air Combat Capability- On the Record"
-Find out who is responsible for the Air Warfare Destroyer mess
-Analysis of Defence Materiel Organisation Major Projects Management and What Needs to be Fixed
-New DMO Boss warns the staff that business as usual is over
-How dangerous is the Defence Material Organisation to our Defence Industry?
-Australia's Failing Defence Structure and Management Methodology
-More on the dud-jamming gear Defence wants to buy
-ADF cost per flying hour
-I will wipe out bullying vows new Defence chief (Houston 2005)
-Vacancy
-Put Vol 2 Report of DLA Piper Review into the light of day
-Rory and Jim
-Parasitism as an Abstraction for Organizational Dysfunctions
-Hobart-class "Air Warfare Destroyer" to be fielded with obsolete radar guidance technology
-The Decay Of Critical Military Thinking And Writing-With Particular Reference To The RAAF
-The great M-1 tank myth
-*UPDATE* Fear and loathing in Canberra - Audit released on MRH-90 helicopter project
-RAN bullies contractor over Collins sub replacement
-2014-15 ADF budget shocker - Star-ranks
-Air Warfare Destroyer -- Billions, not millions over budget
-Australia's M-1 tanks are... a downgrade compared to what it had
-Weak links put on rubber-stamp Defence panel
-Insert Joke Here
-Tyranny of distance--Long, drawn out helicopter projects are unsustainable
-2014-15 ADF budget shocker - cost per flying hour over the last budget year
-Tiger savaged by Navy League of Australia
-Tiger helicopter update
-Overview of corruption in Australia
-Government ignores its own 'rescue' report created to fix Air Warfare Destroyer woes
-DM Johnston fired in cabinet reshuffle
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