Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0

[John Fedup]

IIRC when Canada was considering buying SSNs in the late 80s, those would have been LEU fueled (Rubis class). Some pros and cons to each approach obviously, but bottom line is that HEU vs LEU should not be a deciding factor.

LEU was only considered for the proposed SSN fleet because the USN opposed SSNs for Canada. Canada's finances after the 1987 economic downturn and various scandals with the Mulroney government killed the idea. One scandal terminated the Canadian $1,000 bill....given inflation since then, it would be useful today. The largest bill here is $100...covers the cost of 60 cans of beer!

 

[spoz]

I am pretty sure we would not consider buying French submarines after our experiences with the last effort.

 

[Richo99]

I am pretty sure we would not consider buying French submarines after our experiences with the last effort.

Not sure they would want to sell them to us!

 

[Stampede]

No one knows what the Attack Class would have looked like had AUKUS not eventuated.

It was a program in such infancy it’s hard to judge what it would have looked like long term.

Yes many critics and maybe some justification ,but my belief is that the French do know how to build some good military kit

I’d speculate had we continued with the Attack class build , we would have eventually acquired an excellent SSK in good time ,numbers at a respectable price.
Some hiccups , price blowout and no doubt challenges ,
but still a good end result

A capability I would now have preferred to the current Plan A of AUKUS and its implications for a balanced ADF.

Anyway we cannot turn back the clock.

Back to the complexities of docking cycles of SSNs and all that implies

I’ve come to the conclusion that a SSN is a bridge too far for a nation of our size and expertise.
It also has a political element that I’m not comfortable with on many levels.

All up it’s a mistake



Cheers S


I

 

[spoz]

Yes we might have done - had we agreed to build them in France.

 

[John Fedup]

I am pretty sure we would not consider buying French submarines after our experiences with the last effort.

I assume the anti-nuclear lobby at the time prevented consideration of a French SSN which in theory should have been more straight forward resulting in the questionable effort of modifying a SSN into a SSK.? Mind you France being France, a Australian-French collaboration on a a joint SSN build in Australia might not have fared any better than the Attack class SSK.

 

[OldTex]

I assume the anti-nuclear lobby at the time prevented consideration of a French SSN which in theory should have been more straight forward resulting in the questionable effort of modifying a SSN into a SSK.? Mind you France being France, a Australian-French collaboration on a a joint SSN build in Australia might not have fared any better than the Attack class SSK.

The anti-nuclear lobby prevented the consideration of any SSNs, hence the bastardised ATTACK class design. When that started to go pear shaped and analysts/commentators were pushing various other SSK designs, suddenly AUKUS happened so the push is now for SSNs.

 

[iambuzzard]

The anti-nuclear lobby prevented the consideration of any SSNs, hence the bastardised ATTACK class design. When that started to go pear shaped and analysts/commentators were pushing various other SSK designs, suddenly AUKUS happened so the push is now for SSNs.

Abbott wanted the Japanese boats, Turnbull didn't like that and went for bastardised Attack class, and here we are!

 

[Ananda]

Yes we might have done - had we agreed to build them in France.

French now helping Brazil with their first SSN, build in Brazil yard. So I do see French will be helping Australian on domestic SSN, if Australia choose Baracuda base SSN, instead conventional base Baracuda design.

 

[Going Boeing]

A Naval News article about the infrastructure at Henderson Defence Precinct - the author is not optimistic about any CIVMEC involvement in future naval shipbuilding, despite their very suitable facilities.