It was a major surprise on, 16 September 2021, that Morrison, Boris Johnson and Biden announced the vision of future nuclear propelled submarine (Aus SSN) for Australia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AUKUS#Submarines .

Is Election history repeating itself?

First, in April 2016, the Australian Federal Government prematurely, but before the July 2016 Federal Election, chose Naval Group/DCNS to build the Attack class conventionally propelled subs. This was, in part, to gain votes/seats in South Australia (where Australia was to build the subs). But this premature Aus Gov announcement and action led to an unmanageable situation with Naval Group.

Second. Now in 2021, prior to the Federal Election probably in 2022(?), Morrison has announced a very un-nailed down "vision" to build nuclear propelled subs, again in South Australia. Everything is up for consultation with, not one, but two countries, the UK and US.

To be cynical is fully justified that escaping the Naval Group unmanageable situation may lead to something worse. But rest assured votes and seats in South Australia (where these nuclear subs are meant to be built) are (almost) assured for Morrison's Government (which is behind in the polls).

An Australian nuclear submarine (Aus SSN) may become an even more unmanageable situation.

UNCERTAIN VISIONS/OPTIONS

This side of the 2022? Federal Election Morrison merely says Australia will build the SSNs, in Adelaide, South Australia.

It is possible the Aus SSNs will have traits of the UK's Astute class SSN and US Virginia class SSN.

A. If the Aus SSN is tailor-made for the RAN this will be very economically and technically risky, extremely expensive and may only produce a mature SSN by the late 2030s, if not later.

B. If Australia, instead, buys UK made Astutes or US made Virginias one of these SSNs may be delivered to Australia by the late 2020s.

OR

3. An Australian made Astute or Virginia may be ready by the early 2030s.

Note that future Aus SSNs (maybe ready in the 2040s) will make Australia the only nuclear sub nation in the world that does not have nuclear weapons.

plantagenet

Do you have an opinion of your own?
Your opening piece repeating a few news reports, is hardly riddled with opine.

Dan.

Sounds good, but ...

Since WW11, both sides of politics have failed totally in their very first duty, sufficient provision for the defence of Australia. They have ensured that our armed forces are neither large enough, lethal enough nor sustainable enough to defend the country. We rely on America but, as Senator and Major General Jim Molan points out, since the end of the Cold War, US capability has decreased by 30 to 50 per cent, whereas China is "fabulously well armed". And of course, we have only about 30 days of fuel in the country.

Molan recently told David Flint that we could defend ourselves; we (that is the politicians) just elect not to do so.

I'll believe it when I see it. It could be just another make work scheme; and we didn’t make much of a job of the Collins. Australian governments have lost the trust of the people.

Just watched Greg Sheridan reminding us about the number of 'perhaps' sub acquisitions we have heard in the past. Also, the fact that if we do actually get something this time, it won't make any difference to the China situation for at least 20 years. All this crap about a heroic decision by Morrison on dropping the French deal? Rubbish! It should have happened well before this, as everyone man and his dog, not paid as much as Morrison, has always known.

Left wing lunatic, Jacinda Adern, has rushed to say that nuclear submarines will not be visiting NZ. I hope this means that she won't he expecting Australia to render help if her silly little asylum is threatened. They are out of ANZUS because of US nuclear ships. They cannot protect themselves. NZ should be ignored for the shithole it has become.

Why do we want noisy underwater steam ships?
Have nuclear subs improved so much that talented asdic operators cannot now tell individual subs from their noise signatures?

Seems like a desperate election ploy or the small kid wanting to play with the big boys.