Publication

As the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) prepares to embark on major submarine and frigate shipbuilding programs, a question about the projected service lives of these systems becomes critical. Indeed, what’s preferable – a 30-year program with a planned upgrade or a 20-year operational life without an upgrade? To Alastair Cooper and James Mugg the question isn’t an esoteric one, particularly since the answer will dictate whether other parts of the RAN are optimized or not.