TOO EXPENSIVE and TOO LATE

Australian Nuclear submarines will cost HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS all up.

The best brains in the Nation estimate Australian future nuclear propelled submarines will cost A$500 Billion over 30 years. That will require an increase of A$20 Billion/year in our annual Defence BudgetS.

Taking into account 3% inflation per year over 30 years.

Put another way our Defence Budget will need to rise from 2% GDP/year to 3% GDP.

Expenses include:

- building the 8 new submarines - with the nuclear reactor/propulsion stern/rear half actually being built in the UK or US, whatever Albanese or Marles claim as "Made in Australia"

- spare parts, regular upgrades and overhauls

- training and paying for literally 1,000s of nuclear expert submariners, shipbuilders, maintainers, lecturers, nuclear safety scientists and bureaucrats.

- paying for 100s of Australians to train in UK/US nuclear establishments. And to serve as crew in training on UK/US nuclear subs.

- creation of massively expanded nuclear research agencies. A new naval nuclear safety agency. Creation of new Nuclear Emergency drills and sirens. Making Iodine Pills (anti-radiation medications) freely available in Adelaide, Wollongong and South Perth nears bases and shipbuilding.

- an expanded Fleet Base West (south of Perth) and construction of a East Coast Nuclear Submarine Base (probably at Port Kembla), a new submarine shipyard at Osborne, Adelaide.

IF WE SELECT UK SUBMARINES THE FIRST MAY ONLY BE AVAILABLE IN 2045 (OR LATER)

Hi Mavs,

A nice post there, I support a defence capability for Australia, I emphasise DEFENCE, as opposed to out and out MILITARISM. These nuclear submarines seem to be nothing more than "Big Boys Toys" and as you say a half trillion dollar outlay with the promise that something might appear sometime in the next 25 to 30 years plus. I very much doubt that Australia will ever see these submarines.

Thanks Paul

As Australia can't wait for incredibly expensive nuclear submarines (SSNs which are likely to be mainly built overseas)and delayed until the late 2040s, and which still won't deter nuclear armed China

Australia needs its own nuclear deterrent against China within the next 10 years.

The most common delivery platforms for nuclear weapons are long range missiles. For Australia we need:

- Tomahawk missiles (by 2028) from northern Australia and on Collins subs we already have. Nuclear armed Tomahawks could destroy new Chinese bases near Australia, Chinese invasion fleets or at least Chinese fleets that are blockading Australia.

- by 2030 missiles from air launched Australian F-35A stealth aircraft we already have, which with refueling could fire missiles that could hit southern China (particularly China's Hainan island nuclear submarine base, just east of northern Vietnam).

- Small ballistic/hypersonic milles fired from a replacement conventional submarine class by 2033,
ie. buying South Korea's KSS-IIIs long range conventionall powered nuclear ballistic missile subs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSS-III_submarine

and

- perhaps, 2038 central Australia based small ICBMs in protected silos that fire hypersonic boost-glide warheads

For mobile launch modes Australia can leverage newly emerging hypersonic missile technology which are: larger, faster, longer range missiles than old fashioned Tomahawk cruise missles, but smaller, leghters and cheaper than full sized traditional ballistic missiles (like the Minuteman III ICBM or Trident II SLBM).

A new hypersonic missile being the "LRHW" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-Range_Hypersonic_Weapon

Cheers Mavs

What Australia needs is leadership.
What Australia needs is voters who have both eyes open when voting.
What Australia needs is less ignorance.
What Australia needs is less self serving politicians.

What Australia doesn't need is more toys of delusion.

Now we all know that's not going to happen so go on a picnic, or have a Barby, instead of pretending to know what Australia needs.