Building a Strong and Sustainable Fleet
A Vision for the successful implementation of the
Australian Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan
Peter Jones & Dr David Shackleton
Naval Studies Group
University of New South Wales (Canberra)
Full Paper
Preface
This study by the Naval Studies Group at the University of New South Wales (Canberra) seeks to contribute constructive, historically grounded analysis to one of the most significant national endeavours in modern Australian naval history: the successful execution of the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan (2024 NSSP).
The genesis of modern warship construction in Australia has long been defined by a cyclical pattern of ambitious procurement followed by industrial and fiscal contraction. As retired senior officers who have collectively spent decades both at sea and ashore, we undertook this study out of a shared concern that the current path contains the familiar ingredients of yet another ‘boom and bust’ cycle.
Our objective is not to critique the strategic necessity of an expanded, lethal surface and submarine fleet. Indeed, Australia’s challenging strategic environment demands nothing less than a potent navy. Rather, our focus is entirely on implementation. By reviewing seven decades of local corporate shipbuilding history, this study extracts the principles that separated past industrial successes from costly failures. We have sought to bridge those historical lessons with a practical analysis of the current authorised program, mapping out looming workforce strains, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the stark operational realities of managing an increasingly heterogeneous fleet.
Ultimately, this study argues that a continuous shipbuilding program is entirely achievable in Australia, provided the nation approaches it as a unified, tightly governed public-private enterprise rather than a fragmented series of isolated procurement projects. We offer our consolidated recommendations spanning commercial principles, enterprise oversight, and alternative force structures as a roadmap to ensure that this multi-billion-dollar investment translates into lasting, sovereign maritime power.
Peter Jones and Dr David Shackleton
Naval Studies Group
University of New South Wales (Canberra)
1 November 2026
