BAE, Navantia, Raytheon to up role in Australian shipbuilding
SYDNEY, Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) 9 (Reuters) - Australia has asked defence contractors BAE Systems Plc (Other OTC: BAESF - news) , Navantia SA and Raytheon Australia to increase their roles in the country's troubled A$8.5 billion warship building programme.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said on Tuesday the trio's increased involvement will drive immediate improvements in shipbuilding performance.
Australia's Air Warfare Destroyer project has been blighted by long delays and cost blowouts. An auditor's report earlier this year found that local shipyards were not fully prepared to take on the complex work, while Spain's Navantia provided poor blueprints marred by "drawing errors or omissions" and late changes.
Cormann did not provide financial details for the additional work to be undertaken by the three companies. (Reporting By Jane Wardell. Editing by Andre Grenon)