OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NAVY LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA
Published 1920 to 1932 then continuously from April 1938
75 Years of Publication.

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Navy League of Australia
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THE WHITE PAPER AND THE RAN - WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR NAVY?
By Sebastian

Defence 2000 was no doubt awaited with some trepidation by the Navy. Over recent years things have not been easy for the Senior Service. For example it has had to grapple with introducing into service the LPAs and Collins with the attendant sensationalist media coverage. At the same time it had to shepherd through the maze of committees the air warfare destroyer in lieu of the defunct ANZAC Warfighting Improvement Program. There were other projects, not so expensive but also important such as the replacement for WESTRALIA and the ageing Standard SM-1 missile. This was in a climate of increasing personnel shortages.
In contrast during the White Paper pubic consultation phase it was clear that the Army benefited from a wave of East Timor goodwill and the Air Force had its strong airpower proponents. The extent to which public and defence consultation actually influenced Defence 2000 remains unclear. What can be said is that the need for a balanced force (including a capable Navy) came out loud and clear in the responses and this is reflected in Defence 2000. Those readers who sent in responses should take heart in this.
So what is the outcome for the Navy? The answer is positive, but how positive is difficult to say. This is for five reasons.
First, the detailed and fully costed Defence Capability Plan talked about in Chapter 8 of the Defence 2000 in unavailable.
Second, some of the passages in Defence 2000 are not reassuring.
Third issue is people.

Spanish Navy's first F-100 air warfare ship about to be launched. The F-100 would have to be considered a favorite for the RAN's SEA 4000 air warfare destroyer project.

Fourth, the issue of the construction program.