Pete, we really, really, really do not have the time, nor do we have the $ available to spend on larger SSN type boats or skimmers to assist. As you point out, Darwin is stitched up by the CCP and their "lease" on East Arm Port. Several airdromes in WA, likewise are "leased" to the CCP. The HIKVISION cameras installed at RAAF Tindal a few years back have similarly given the CCP a look in through the tradesmans entrance. If the moot point of "suitably qualified" boat commanders is to be addressed - why not get the ball rolling at Stirling, the facilities there are world class from my personal associations there. In the interim time frame it requires to have the larger boats constructed, commissioned and crewed, get the smaller boats in the water and patrolling our nearer shorelines. Heaven forbid that the CCP Maritime surveillance aircraft engaged in our region, during the search for MH 370, used this as a golden opportunity to gather acoustic signatures of our assets whilst assisting in the joint effort. The answer is smaller - less expensive boats & skimmers and lots of em in the water and soon ! The mention of ROV's, or underwater drones also has merit. Used in a fashion similar to the tethered WW2 "acoustic mines", armed with MU90's these too could be effective in the shallower waters and approaches in deeper waters near strategic assets around our coastline.

There's no point in any of that if we can't even get the young to do a National Service in the first place ! To defend a Nation requires discipline & a sound mentality none of which are readily available here.
Hiring mercenaries would to the the best way for Australia at this stage.

H Albie
Re your "Wednesday, 28 July 2021 12:17:06 AM" comments:

Yes Australia's can't afford the $10 Billion each for even the smallest SSNs being built which are Fench Barracuda/Suffren class SSNs http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2019/07/dry-land-launch-of-frances-first.html

Other considerations are half the job of SSNs are to protect nuclear warhead-missile subs (SSBNs). Australia definitely won't be buying SSBNs.

Also if Australia bought SSNs, that might start a regional arms race with Indonesia buying SSNs as well - probably from Russia - a bad scenario.

Yes selling off strategically sensitive land/ports in Northern Australia to China, run by the CCP, is bad policy.

Obviously the RAN decided against homegrown training to qualify submarine commanders. If they fail to pass Dutch "Perisher" they'd fail Aussie "Perisher".
________________

MY point is usually missed that a Commander of a small sub must be as qualified, skilled and as experienced as a Commander of a large sub. So the training and shortage problems remain.

P.S. Albie

Re your points about Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (aka ROVs, AUVs or "drones", Boeing's Orca being large ones). They all suffer from:

- communication back to base problems. This means they have no SECURE links unlike Unmanned Aeriel Vehicles (which have constant direct upbeam comms with satellites).
- UUVs sending data back to base would could give away their positions
- UUV are potentially jammable.

The worst thing is UUVs can be potentially captured/hijacked by eg. China. If those Aussie UUVs are armed with mines, torpedoes or ant-ship missiles these could be reprogrammed/redirected by Chinese techos to sink passenger ships.

An Aussie UUV inadvertantly sinking a passenger ship would be an international PR, humanitarian disaster for Australia.

Hi individual,
(Your "Wednesday, 28 July 2021 6:49:00 AM" comment)

The issue under discussion (the shortage of qualified Australian born/trained submarine commanders) has absolutely nothing to do with 1960s style "National Service".

And these days any National Service would be press-ganged on men and WOMEN - all reluctantly semi-training for 1 to 2 years

National Service has nothing to do with the 6 years from voluteering for the RAN and then becoming a trusted, volunteer, fully trained submariner.

This is even more so for someone voluteering for the RAN then needing 20 years to train up to submarine Commander standard.

These UK and Canadian submarine Commanders transferring to the RAN have nothing to do with the "mercenaries" you mention.

I reckon the QUESTION ARE:

1. How come Australia has only FOUR available submarine Commanders?

AND

2. How come only 1 out of 4 can be produced by Australia's own Navy?

Regards

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

has absolutely nothing to do with 1960s style "National Service".
plantagenet,
Who's talking about a 1960's style NS ?