BLUF
There is an ongoing debate about the submarine capability gap Australia faces as Australia could be waiting decades for nuclear-powered submarines. A group of former senior navy personnel say a new Collins submarine is the only option.Summary
This article by Tory Shepherd, writing for The Guardian, makes the following points:
- Defence Minister Richard Marles says that dealing with the capability gap is his top priority, and he has an open mind about dealing with it.
- Four respected defence experts have written to the defence department and Mr Marles to argue that a new submarine should be based on the existing Collins submarine.
- The four former senior naval officers argue that conventional subs could be in the water by 2032.
- The first nuclear-powered submarines being planned under the AUKUS agreement are unlikely to be operational before 2040.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- Second-hand Japanese boats could rapidly expand Australia’s submarine force | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
- US and UK begin jostling to supply Australia with nuclear submarine fleet | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- SEP 2021 Everybody Wins If Australia Gets ‘New’ Los Angeles Class Subs ASAP—Forbes
- JUN 2022 Australian-built conventional submarines vital to fill looming capability gap, says defence think-tank—The Guardian
- JUN 2022 Defence Minister Richard Marles has ‘open mind’ to huge change—News.com.au
Source: Guardian, The
- Link to Source: The Guardian
- Media Check: The Guardian - Media Bias/Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
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