Failure Where Alignment is Lacking: Type 26 Frigate Procurement Processes in Australia Versus Canada, 1990–2022

Abstract

AbstractIn this chapter we take a broader look at large-scale naval procurement than is usually done by defence or policy analysis in isolation, focussing on the planned purchases of the British BAE Systems’Type 26frigate by both Canada and Australia. We argue that successful procurement/implementation in naval procurement in general requires the existence of (1) a clear naval doctrine that supports a rational for the procurement of a particular weapon system and (2) the acceptance on the part of the government of that doctrine along with a commitment to ensuring strategic alignment with it. If these two areas are aligned, as they were in Australia, procurement should proceed relatively smoothly, but issues can emerge if the doctrine is missing or unclear and/or if the government disagrees with the doctrine put forward by the military, and prioritizes purchases in other areas or services, as occurred in Canada.