Forget building submarines in Australia. It has now been suggested we can't even build houses properly. A senior lecturer at RMIT University’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management says the standard is low. The majority of new houses in Australia only meet the minimum building code requirements, which are not sufficient to deliver year round thermal comfort. The houses are “glorified tents” compared with homes in Sweden, pointing out that temperatures inside a “flimsy” Queenslander dip below 18 degrees Celsius while Swedish houses remain at a comfortable 23 degrees, no matter the season.

The problem has arisen with people working from home, finding that their houses are not as warm as their offices at this time of the year.

Climate change gets the usual mention, even though that's supposed to be heating us up, but maybe it's not. Who knows with the constant BS we are fed.

Hi Pete,

The existing (more than 2 decades old) trouble-plagued
Collins subs Australia discussed replacing nearly a
decade ago. And the Collins subs were due to be retired
in the next few years.

In 2016 Australia selected the Naval Group to build a new
submarine fleet to replace its Collins subs and significantly
expand its military strategic and trade interests in the
Asia-Pacific. It was considered one of the most lucrative
defence deals.

However now it seems that Canberra requires
that the majority of the manufacturing and
components be sourced locally causing
delays and problems. With the result being that our Defence
Minister Peter Dutton has said he will order a refit of the
existing Collins class subs. The first of Australia's
six Collins class subs will reach their end of life span
in 2026.

So what's going on in Canberra? Wouldn't it be a better move
and much cheaper in the long-term to simply stick with the
French sub order - then play around with these old Collins
class subs?

I say stick with new sub fleet to replace the more than 2 decades
old Collins subs and expand our military strategic interests.
and trade in the Asia Pacific.

Hi Foxy

What is termed the Life of Type Extension (LOTE) modernisation plan for the Collins has been the Government's plan all along since 2017. Dutton might be implying LOTE is his idea but its 4 years old.

LOTEs are standard in Navy ships and submarines after around 17 years of service. LOTEs are much more economically and politically justifiable and sensible than building new "Interim" subs

or the Nuclear Subs (that coat Australia $10 Billion each and couldn't be built here).

With LOTEs being done in the mid-late 2020s at least 3 Collins will last till 2042 at the same time as 4 Attack class subs enter service.
So Australia will always have the 6 subs minimum we need rising to 12 subs around 2050.

The main weakness of the Collins has always been the gone-out-of-business-Swedish-Company Hedemora Diesel Engines. The Hedemora diesels are faulty, dangerous, can only be run to 80% maximum power and need to be removed in Adelaide from each Collins to be serviced. Hedemora Diesel servicing costs an average of $100 million per Collins per year = all up $600 million per year just servicing the diesels of the Collins class.

So replacing the Collins Hedemora diesels with the world's best and most common diesels (designed in Germany by a company called MTU) should be the main and very much necessary LOTE improvement for the Collins.

The Collins LOTEs have always been planned in conjunction with the introduction of the Attack class subs.

Regards

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

Good Morning Pete,

Thank You for explaining things to me.

It now all makes sense as to what Australia
is trying to do.

Pete,

You've told us all about it. Is defence Minister Dutton au fait with your brilliant assessment of the subject.

Morning Foxy

Thanks.

And if China increases as a threat at the rate it has in the last 3 years all these Collins-LOTE and Attack-class timings should speed up.

Cheers

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/