Bidding war declared for white paper frigate deal

The race to win a multi-billion-dollar contract to build eight naval frigates has begun, only hours after the plan was announced in the defence white paper.

The states and defence companies are already jostling to spruik their credentials, despite warnings from defence experts that the project would be years away, even if money could be found to pay for it.

Premier Mike Rann has announced South Australia will bid for the ships to be built at the Techport site in Adelaide's northern suburbs, vowing work could begin once construction of the Air Warfare Destroyers there was complete.

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