Australia goes sub nuclear

[Pommer]

Australians are much nicer than their continent, mostly.

 

[sjastro]

Furious France recalls ambassadors to Australia and US over sub deal.
Furious Over Sub Deal, France Recalls Ambassadors to U.S. and Australia

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Australia have particle beam weapons anyway but they're pointed out into space for killing threats from space, they should figure out how to aim it at targets over land or water.

I can think of a certain prime minister right now who would make a good target....

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Australia's defence procurement is as much a disaster as everyone else's.

It's only a problem when we insist on buying heavily customised, complex weaponry. The (now cancelled) submarines for one. You would think someone in defence would have learnt from the Collins Class or even back as far as the Avon Sabre, but nooo.

Conversely when we buy off-the-shelf equipment it usually works well. The RAAF has had virtually no issues with the Super Hornets, Growlers, or C-17s. The navy seems to have done OK with the Canberra Class.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Likelihood is that Australia will select the UK's Astute class. The other possibility is the updated Virginia class, but it's probably too much sub at better than 10,000 tons.

Given the navy's track record on procuring subs, I doubt they'll be that smart. And certainly not while the Liberals are in power, shovelling money hand over fist into South Australia.

Yes, the smart thing to do now we've stuffed the current contract would be to go to the UK, who are already building Astute-class subs, and just procure a dozen from them. Given the price per boat is down around $3 billion, we could have twelve easily for under $50 billion, set up to maintain (but not build) them here, and spend the remaining $40B that the original Barracudas would have cost on other local industry.

But Morrison isn't that smart.

 

[Aussie Pete]

It's only a problem when we insist on buying heavily customised, complex weaponry. The (now cancelled) submarines for one. You would think someone in defence would have learnt from the Collins Class or even back as far as the Avon Sabre, but nooo.

Conversely when we buy off-the-shelf equipment it usually works well. The RAAF has had virtually no issues with the Super Hornets, Growlers, or C-17s. The navy seems to have done OK with the Canberra Class.

Absolutely. Some defence people want a swiss army knife approach. It does not work. Why they did not ask the French to build the nuclear version of the sub, which is the original design, is a mystery. They never forget that it's not their money. So who cares how much they waste?