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OPINION | A welcome wildcat? Austal, AUKUS and an ownership mud wrestle
Competing bids for Austal USA contrast Hanwha's $1.7 billion proposal with Wildcat Infrastructure's $1.87 billion offer. Austal builds US Navy and Coast Guard ships, produces Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine modules, and supports Australian landing craft and the Mogami frigate program, making ownership relevant to American, Australian, Japanese, and South Korean security interests. A US buyer could simplify sensitive-technology concerns, but no sale has been approved and Wildcat's finances and long-term shipbuilding commitment still require scrutiny. No government has formally adopted those security conclusions as an acquisition decision, and the competing bids remain under review.