This is understood by sailors and experts on the subject, but not necessarily by the politicians who must decide on the matter of the navy’s capabilities. The right-wing parties approach the issue from an economistic point of view – that is, ships are bought or built where it is most cost-efficient. The left and centre-left do not pay so much attention to this, they are keen on local industrialisation and what generates labour – even better if it happens in the southern Bio-Bio region, where ASMAR and ASENAV have their largest shipyards, which to some extent leaves the fate of construction policy in the hands of the executive and the political forces in Congress.
The navy is more pragmatic: it needs ships because without ships it is not a navy. If they are built locally, this is good, and if they come from abroad, this is also good, although there is an inclination for them to be built locally because this helps local shipyards to maintain their capacities in terms of repairs, modernisation and maintenance.
An example of the above was the acquisition in 2020 of two used Adelaide-class frigates from Australia, which were in very good condition, while in parallel, the Almirante Viel – a world-class 10,000-ton icebreaker – was being built locally. The latter reflects what Chile is capable of doing locally.
For now, efforts are being focused on four 8,000-ton amphibious multipurpose ships, but an interesting discussion is coming up about the renovation of Squadron ships and the submarine force, something that could cost between $5–8 billion, spread over several years. The Chilean Navy has received Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 frigate design, but the fierce competition for a contract may only start in 2026. Navies are not cheap, and their equipment is always a matter of analysis, so Chileans should get ready for the discussion to come.
© Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis, 2025, published by RUSI with permission of the author
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Publish date : 2025-02-19 23:40:00
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