Stephan; Perhaps the Israel solution would be effective.
Build nuclear weapon(s) but do not tell anyone and never admit that
you have such weapons.

It does not take long for the word to get out that a country has built
such weapons but if it is denied everyone is in a quandry.

This is the siyuation Israel has manufactured for itself.

I wonder if Vanunu was a plant to give some backing to the theory that
Israel had a bomb ?

It may be that we have nukes here already.
Its reputed that part of the deal that Bob Menzies made for the Brits to test their bombs out here (Maralinga) was that if we ever needed nukes... they would send them.
There are also strange things happening...i.e. stories amongst military personnel and Oz scientists of black flights from the US and unspecified loads to certain locations? One story I came across the witness swore he saw long, rectangular boxes with airconditioning units on the side being unloaded off a black flight at Woomera SA.
I find it hard to believe that with such a threat as Russia and China pose that nukes are not already stored here somewhere. You think of it... the Americans have a number of secret bases here as part of their global ICBM systems. We could hardly protect them with our 3rd world Defence forces in time of invasion.

What the Defence industry and analysts will be telling government has to be taken with a (large) grain of salt (as they have a private interest in continued and continuous military expansion and spending). All of our forces in future will be annihilated. That must be accepted because to pretend otherwise is FANTASY.

If people today want to join the armed services in the near future they will be sent home in coffins by the hundred or thousand (if their bodies aren't disintegrated, which they probably will be) if they engage any country that is part of this "arms race".

We will NEVER win an arms race in this region. It will make us bankrupt if we attempt to maintain dominance. The bigger economy and producer always wins. We are neither.

Interesting stuff Steel.
My only thought was if a citizens army could be formed and couldnt be targeted by nukes... OZ might survive. With lost of prayer too.
What it means though is weapons and ammo dumps all over the place, a publishing for the gun clubbers to get them on side. Food silos etc. As China builds with her eyes on the road south I hope someone in Australia is going to do something, anything.

I agree with your "citzen army" or militia idea.

BAZZ,

Australia's geostrategic position is very different to that of Israel. Israel has land borders with hostile neighbours. It needs nukes ready for instant use.

Australia is an island-continent. There would be a long lead time were any threats to develop. Therefore the CAPABILITY to deploy nukes within a year or two is probably all that is needed for now. The Japanese could probably deploy a sizeable nuclear deterrent in less than two years.

PAUL.L,

Indonesia gave permission for Australian troops to land in East Timor RELUCTANTLY and only after much PRESSURE from the US. Apparently an IMF bail out was conditioned on letting go of East Timor. From the perspective of many of Indonesia's elite we invaded their sovereign territory.

I agree that we need a lethal CONVENTIONAL capability. However there is a problem. Australia's weakness is its inordinately long supply routes. Whoever controls the oceans around Australia can, in principle, control Australia.

At the moment the US Navy controls the oceans. The hysteria of certain lefties notwithstanding, the US is on the whole a friendly power.

Were an aggressive Indonesia ever to acquire a blue ocean navy the only way to protect Australia's sea routes would be to have the capability of destroying their naval bases. Nukes MAY be needed for that.

It is unlikely that Australia would ever find itself in conflict with China on its own. However some rather frightening scenarios involving Taiwan are imaginable.

STEEL.

I agree with you. That is why it is best if we never have to fight. And that is why the ultimate deterrent may actually be the best bet.

In the cold war it was called Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).