BAE in bid for deal with Brazilian navy

An early concept design of the Global Combat Ship by BAE An early concept design of the Global Combat Ship by BAE

THE Brazilian navy is weighing up whether to order a fleet of 11 new ships from Hampshire warship builder BAE Systems after the company formally submitted its bid for the work.

It’s a crunch decision for the 3,000 Hampshire workers employed in the heritage industry, which desperately needs overseas work to compensate for a reduction in orders for the cash-strapped Royal Navy.

Farnborough-based BAE is aiming to build five ocean patrol vessels, one logistics support vessel and five escort vessels for the Brazilian fleet.

The company, which operates the former VT Group shipyard in Portsmouth, also hopes to win a lucrative support and maintenance deal to look after the fleet.

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All the support work is based in Hampshire, employing 1,500 people.

In a landmark move, the offer allows the Brazilians to partner BAE ship designers in the normally secretive development of the new multi-role Global Combat Ship in a process known as technology transfer.

Although only the first in the class of the ships are likely to be built in the UK, possibly just one or two vessels, the deal would drive down the costs of developing the Global Combat Ship.

That forms the base of the Navy’s planned Type 26 frigate programme, meaning that the service is more likely to take up its full quota of 13 vessels, all of which will be built in the UK.

BAE’s proposal comes on the back of the recent Defence Co-operation Agreement between the UK and Brazilian governments and is part of a bid to boost trade between the two countries.

Alan Johnston, managing director of BAE Systems’ Surface Ships division, said: “We believe that this strategic partnership approach, combined with our proven ship designs, will bring strength to Brazilian industry and give the Brazilian navy confidence in our ability to deliver an effective, affordable solution to meet its future naval capability requirements.

“We are in discussions regarding the naval proposal with a number of potential industry partners in Brazil, including shipyards and combat systems developers.”

Comments(14)

Brite Spark says...
12:38pm Wed 27 Oct 10

I hope that these vessels wouldn't be used by Brazil to support Argentina in any future conflict. We've shot ourselves in the foot with these sort of orders before. Argentina themselves had a couple of destroyers built in UK that they used in The Falklands War. And Vospers have built ships purchased by Iran. Would we sell tanks to Iran - I hope not??

stmarysmush says...
1:05pm Wed 27 Oct 10

Brite Spark wrote:
I hope that these vessels wouldn't be used by Brazil to support Argentina in any future conflict. We've shot ourselves in the foot with these sort of orders before. Argentina themselves had a couple of destroyers built in UK that they used in The Falklands War. And Vospers have built ships purchased by Iran. Would we sell tanks to Iran - I hope not??
Might aw well make a profit while we ca. There only buy ships off someone else otherwise.

StEmmosfire says...
1:11pm Wed 27 Oct 10

More work for foreigners working here at BAE, im sure they will be please, especially as there on £28 per hour contract. Brightspark do you really think that a privatised company like BAE give a **** who we build ships for? Like Stmarysmush says, there in for the profit. Cant have morals in this business otherwise you go bust.

Brite Spark says...
1:17pm Wed 27 Oct 10

If I worked for BAE i would be chuffed at any business coming our way.
However, it was a bit ironic to face the enemy in The Strait of Hormuz knowing that their Alvand class frigates were built next to The Itchen Bridge!

StEmmosfire says...
1:50pm Wed 27 Oct 10

Brite Spark wrote:
If I worked for BAE i would be chuffed at any business coming our way. However, it was a bit ironic to face the enemy in The Strait of Hormuz knowing that their Alvand class frigates were built next to The Itchen Bridge!
Im telling you britespark, the place is a joke, no wonder the aircraft carriers are going to cost so much. There was a good program on Ch4 recentley about how the MOD spends our money, a lot of it revolving around BAE. They need to employ less of these "permie" contractors and invest in young people on full time contracts, and stop bringing in foreign staff, and using a skills shortage as an excuse is pathetic. You dont have to be a genious to operate a computer, if I can do it most people can.

Brite Spark says...
2:32pm Wed 27 Oct 10

Too true StEmmosfire, the tens of billions that is also wasted on the procurement, or lack of it on Nimrod, Chinook, and aircraft carriers, let alone the kit that goes with them is a national disgrace. That money should have been spent wisely on British equipment built by British workers for the British forces. Sadly that logic is too difficult for our benefits cheating MP's to fathom out. Hence our guys remain without jobs in the UK, and without equipment whilst on operations.

soton1980 says...
4:31pm Wed 27 Oct 10

I'm by no means an expert on the matter, but I can't help wondering why the UK's defence budget is one of the highest in the world, yet we haven't got more to show for it!
.
One wonders why if the Brazilian Government can afford 11 of these, why we can only afford 6-8 Daring class Type 45 destroyers. Still, at least if the Brazilian navy orders some of these ships it stops workers from being made redundant and keeps them busy.

Irate Wintonian says...
4:34pm Wed 27 Oct 10

Do brazilian air craft carriers have narrow landing strips?

Walter K says...
4:50pm Wed 27 Oct 10

"You dont have to be a genious to operate a computer"
or the spellcheck.....

StEmmosfire says...
5:05pm Wed 27 Oct 10

Walter K wrote:
"You dont have to be a genious to operate a computer" or the spellcheck.....
Spell-check run... found 3 errors, dont = don't, genious = genius, and spellcheck = spell-check

FizzyMouse says...
5:12pm Wed 27 Oct 10

Walter K wrote:
"You dont have to be a genious to operate a computer" or the spellcheck.....
Looks like you could do with running it once and a while!

Condor Man says...
5:34pm Wed 27 Oct 10

This is good news, even though losing Vospers has killed Woolston economically. Comments on the Nimrod are wide of the mark, the plan is obsolete and there are better products on the market- mainly from America.

Rob444 says...
7:00pm Wed 27 Oct 10

FizzyMouse wrote:
Walter K wrote:
"You dont have to be a genious to operate a computer" or the spellcheck.....
Looks like you could do with running it once and a while!
I believe the correct expression is "Once in a while", not "Once and a while".

X Old Bill says...
7:53pm Wed 27 Oct 10

StEmmosfire wrote:
Walter K wrote:
"You dont have to be a genious to operate a computer" or the spellcheck.....
Spell-check run... found 3 errors, dont = don't, genious = genius, and spellcheck = spell-check
You missed a couple:
Im should be I'm,
recentley should be recently,
And: Programme if it is a television programme, but program if it is on a computer.

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