Australia like any other subservient toady has to "pay the piper" in this case payments to the Americans for "protection" from the big bad Chinese. Our payments take a couple of forms, one is Australian lives lost in American wars of aggression, and two cold hard cash, Americans love cash from subservient toadies like Australia. These boats of war are another down payment from an American lackey, and no one is more lackyer than Australia!

I find it rather perplexing that submarines are even considered for the defence of Australia when this Nation's worst enemies are already breeding here on land & not rocking on the ocean ?

Agree with Tas and Aspley.

D.D. You are obsessed with rainbows to the point of madness. You need to start taking your meds again.
Alan B.

THE AUKUS SSNs, IF THE PROJECT GETS THAT FAR, WOULD BE MONEY WELL SPENT

Unpublicised is the main value of future AUKUS SSNs. That is long range strike platforms for nuclear missiles to deter China.

Australia is considered equivalent to a NATO partner by the US and UK.

Within NATO the US shares 10 nuclear weapons each to Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. These are deterrents against Russia. Europe's geography permits these weapons to be deployed on relatively short range fighter-bomber aircraft. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_sharing

Australia's requirements are for much longer range nuclear weapons to put mainland China at risk. Hence the plan for AUKUS by the late 2040s is to supply Australia with the best nuclear weapon platforms, which are nuclear propelled submarines.

Only SSNs, affordable for a middle power like Australia, have the speed and range to quickly be in striking distance of China's major cities if China attempted to attack Australia.

Within a patrol area about 2,000km east of Taiwan, Australia's SSNs would mount 6 to 8 hypersonic missiles with a range of around 4,000km. Missiles China would have a great deal of trouble stopping.

Maverick,
The scenario you're describing is way past the point of no return and, once at that point two lousy nuke subs won't make any difference. I don't think China has any interest in going through the trouble of attacking Australia anyway. Way too many logistic problems. Once Australia's been hit a few times it's all over red rover for China also. Australia would be far more effectively defended with coastal based missile stations but by the time it could come to that Australians would be a negligible minority & China would most likely just start occupying it's properties here.
The first thing this Nation needs to do is build up its Australian population but with a new breed, not with drugged to the eyeballs okkers waiting for the next footy game.

Given the behaviour of the Albanese government: their penchant for censorship, digital ID/surveillance, the recent Chinese-style Covid lockdowns, Australia will soon be New China anyway - all with the help of the Australian voters, who deserve what's going to happen.