Australia says it will build biggest navy since World War II

Australia on Tuesday outlined a decade-long plan to double its fleet of major warships and boost defence spending by an additional US$7 billion.Under the plan, Australia will get a navy of 26 major surface combatant ships, up from 11 today.

"It is the largest fleet that we will have since the end of the Second World War," said Defence Minister Richard Marles. Australia will get six Hunter class frigates, 11 general-purpose frigates, three air warfare destroyers and six state-of-the-art surface warships.Some of the ships will be built in Adelaide, ensuring more than 3,000 jobs, but others will be sourced from US designs and a still undecided design to come from Spain, Germany, South Korea or Japan.