Retired Admiral Peter Briggs believes that we should scrap the AUKUS submarine and buy a French one! I wouldn't think that the French would touch us with a bargepole after the ‘convert-a-nuclear sub-to-diesel’ fiasco that we pulled out of at great expense (550 million euros). and insulted the French.

The AUKUS deal is “flawed” says the Admiral.

Is there anything about our apology for a defence plan that is not flawed?

We also need 12 submarines, not 8, because we are surrounded by water: a “three ocean continent”.

We can't make enough submarines, the US won't be able to sell them to us, and Australia's submarine capability will “die with the Collins class”.

Anyway, says Briggs, the AUKUS job is too big and too expensive. We can't afford the minimum 12 vessels needed.

But, going back to the future after the most hideous stuff up, just because we are mates again with the French (according to Richard Marles)?

Depressing, is it not? Not just because we can't have any faith in the political class and bureaucrats, but because they can't even agree on how to bugger things up.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20241214-former-admiral-urges-australia-go-back-on-aukus-deal-buy-french-subs

First of all I want you to tell me why we need them.

WHAT IS THEIR EXACT PURPOSE?

AC

You cannot be serious.

Apart from the fact that anyone who has to ask such a silly question has slept longer than Rip Van Winkle, and the replacement of the Collins subs was mooted almost two decades ago - Labor was talking about it in 2007 - the article in question his not about the obvious reason they are needed, but a retired naval man's opinion that we should go back to France, and the reasons why.

That's the subject of this thread; not twaddle about whether we need a reliable, modern fleet of submarines, which is a given.

It was during Whitlam's turn that Australians voted against defending their Nation !

This thread is not about politics. Both sides are interested in defending Australian, or say they are. Both sides have neglected their responsibilities for decades.

This thread is a simple review of of an article. You either think the proposal in it is smart or daft.

I think that it is daft.

I also think that we will never see the AUKUS submarines, and no bugger has the slightest idea of what they are doing. It's all talk.