SUBMARINES

The author speaks truth when he says:

Australia's "choice of [future Attack-class] submarine designs are diesel electric that would use up most of their endurance just transiting to and from their operating areas and too slow to be effective when they get there.

The Attack-class subs will take days moving north from their Fleet Base West (south of Perth) to their operational area (possibly the Indonesian area...).

Also these subs will take days to move, at short notice, from their base south of Perth, to defend Australia's most vital eastern seaboard cities (Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne).

To achieve the Government's touted "regionally superior submarines" they need to be Fast, hence nuclear propelled.

In recognition that it is nuclear propelled submarines that are "regionally superior"

Australia relies on US nuclear propelled subs regularly visiting Australia's Fleet Base West.

That base is at Rockingham, Western Australia.

See my articles on this at:

- http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2015/05/us-nuclear-subs-that-temporarily-docked.html

and

- http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2016/03/nuclear-propelled-australian-submarines.html

Australia's current and future conventional diesel-electric submarines are inferior to the nuclear propelled submarines of Australia's potential enemies - China and Russia.

Even India's nuclear propelled subs will pose a threat in the medium-long term.

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

Hard to disagree with this! Particularly the comment about diesel-electric subs! The government should take this Gentleman on as a professional consultant and then learn how to actually listen!
Alan B.

They didn’t listen to experts then, but they are making up for it now by listening to jumped up Lefties who know diddly squat about what their paper qualifications state they they are supposed to know. I remarked to my wife last night that the services seem to be ‘womened’ not manned these days after seeing two advertisements to join up. I hope like hell we never have to fight a war with lot we have now. They seem more interested in ‘gender quotas’, ‘sex-change payments’ and fitting killing the enemy in with child care.

I doubt that the best equipment in the world will compensate for the worst personnel the highly PC, highly politicised generals are recruiting.

Diesel submarines ? What makes them think diesel fuel or petrol will be available ?
I understand that ships use a lightly refined crude oil known as
bunker fuel or perhaps straight diesel fuel.
By the time the last submarine is delivered it will have to be
towed to the navy base by a steam ship.
The government, the oil companies, and the motor manufacturers all
seem to know this but the public has not woken up.

On fuel. Has the government done anything about our pathetically inadequate fuel reserves, or are they still talking about it or, not even talking about it anymore.