AUST CO DEVELOPING MISSILE-ENABLED CATAMARANS FOR CHINESE NAVY.

CANBERRA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - An Australian company is working directly with the Chinese navy to develop catamarans capable of firing missiles, an international policy institute says.

The company, AMD Marine Consulting, is a naval architectural and marine engineering consulting firm based in Sydney, which develops catamaran designs for ferries, utility vessels and patrol boats.

According to the Lowy Institute for International Policy, AMD has set up a joint venture called Sea Bus International with a Chinese company - GUMECO - working directly with the People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN).

PLAN has selected a military boat designed on the AMD 350 catamaran which is "markedly like" a new generation of missile-armed catamarans - Type 022 - being built for its navy, the institute's blog site The Interpreter said.

It says AMD is not breaking any laws and nor has it supplied actual weapons or designs for weapons through the joint venture company.

"But China's admirals, recognising that these hulls allow for speeds of up to 36 knots and a more stable platform for firing weapons, came calling," The Interpreter said.

"They were not turned away and Type 022s ...