By all indications the nuclear submarine deal with America and the UK will end up being nothing more than a very expensive "dream" on the part of Australia. Estimated to cost $368 billion (plus), with the possibility that Australia will never see these nuclear submarines actually delivered. In the short term we have Trump with his hostile economic action, and his "America First" policy, and in the future other US governments putting American interests, including the supply of nuclear submarines to their navy, well ahead of any Australian requirement. The whole AUKUS thing is nothing more than pie in sky nonsense and should be dumped ASAP!

AUKUS and the sub deal aren't the same thing. We could abandon the sub deal and remain in AUKUS.

I don't think that submarines that we 'might' get a decade or more from now is a very cunning plan. China will have the gloves of well before then. Only the idiot Albanese can't see the significance of another Chinese spy ship sailing between Tasmania and the mainland.

We need things much easier and cheaper that we can build for ourselves: like missiles and the Ghost Shark unmanned submarine which is under way now. More aircraft off the shelf is another better idea.

China has shown how vulnerable we are; how easy it is for them to hit our infrastructure, our capital cities, and our population. And the moron in the Lodge dodges around questions about it like a scuttling shitehouse rat.

We currently have only about 60 combat aircraft. Knowledgeable opinion has it that we need two more fighter squadrons and four A330 MRTT tankers to keep them in the air. Seven operational squadrons of F-35s. Their missions can range from air policing and regional assurance to cruise missile defence, maritime strike and counter-air missions.

The US can supply those quickly. In “years, not decades”.

"We could abandon the sub deal and remain in AUKUS."
- So we can be cannon fodder in a US provoked war with China over Taiwan?
Whose going to do the fighting?
- You or 'other people'?

"Seven operational squadrons of F-35s."
- 'Seven squadrons of flying pianos'.