Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

The Government has taken the next step to put the Air Warfare Destroyer Program back on track with the appointment of key expert advisers to assist with the implementation of the Reform Strategy.

We have today appointed Greenhill & Co Australia Pty Ltd as Commercial Adviser and Ashurst Australia as Legal Adviser. These appointments followed a competitive procurement process.

These advisers will now immediately begin work to ensure that the Government's objectives for the Air Warfare Destroyer Reform Strategy are achieved. The Reform Strategy will:

• Improve shipbuilding productivity at the Air Warfare Destroyer shipbuilder ASC and its subcontractors BAE Systems, Forgacs and Navantia;
• Urgently insert an experienced shipbuilding management team into ASC; and
• After augmented shipbuilding capacity has been put in place, pursue the reallocation of blocks between shipyards to make the Air Warfare Destroyer program more sustainable.

The implementation of the Reform Strategy will ensure that the Air Warfare Destroyer Program delivers this vital defence capability effectively and efficiently.