Following news that Australia launched the first Arafura-class offshore patrol boat Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and China completed a seven-day intensive live-fire exercise in the South China Sea;

Mathew George, Ph.D., Aerospace & Defense Practice Head at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“NUSHIP Arafura is the first of 12 Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels for Australia and was one of the foundational projects as a part of the 2017 Naval Shipbuilding Plan. These ships will help Australia secure its maritime interests while allowing the government to develop its indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.

“These developments are a part of several programs that are upgrading the capabilities or bringing in efficiencies in the defenses of countries in the region. South Korea, for instance, announced that it has begun the deployment of their new 30mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, that not only retires the 40-year-old 20mm Vulcan system but also reduces the required personnel to operate from 48 to 18.

“Australia on the other hand had announced the acquisition of the South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery earlier in the week.

“Australia is investing the time and energy to create sovereign capabilities to protect itself and its interests in the region and not solely depending on the capabilities of its allies. It is moving ahead with investments in air, land, sea and space to advance its capabilities of surveillance, patrol and defense. In the short term, this momentum can help Australia (like South Korea) to become a hub of innovation in defense and associated technologies and an exporter of these advanced technologies to interested parties.”