“Australia buying a couple of nuclear submarines is a bit like parking your Lamborghini under the carport in front of your fibro-cement bungalow in Dandenong and expecting your neighbours to respect you”. (Peter O’Brien ‘Will Trump sink Aukus’, 5/7/25)

O’Brien writes that given the “contempt the Albanese government has shown towards the US” on a number of fronts, it is more likely than not that President Trump will pull the plug on the submarines - Pillar 1 of the AUKUS agreement.

It might not be all that bad an idea, according to the ex-ADF officer. He points out that Australia's only strategic commitment to the containment of China is the alliance with the US, and our geographical location as a base of operations. On the tactical level, Australian forces come under Australian command; but strategically - “nuclear submarines, long-range bombers/missiles” - the US would be in command.

So, these expensive submarines, bought in peacetime, might well be taken out of Australia's control in wartime, even crewed by Australians.

It could be a better idea to offer the use of our ports for America's nuclear submarines, while we devote our defence spending to areas and equipment we can (with the will) produce ourselves.

Peter O’Brien also points out that Japan has diesel-electric submarines, quietly operating, and costing ten times less than the American nuclear ones.

It would be good to have nuclear submarines, but it shouldn't be at the cost of a “balanced and formidable conventional force”; one up to countering the recent, and earlier, “humiliations” visited on us by China.

However, the author is not convinced that much needed changes will be possible with “Handsome Boy at the helm”.