The greatest Chinese threat that Australia faces is short zippered flys in men’s trousers; that to me is more of a worry than any ‘threat’, it’s actual.

First of all there is no new submarine contract whatsoever.

It is simply an agreement for the USA and the UK to share in information and the provision of nuclear propulsion technology. Any new submarines themselves are yet to be designed, contracted and built and nothing is expected to be delivered until up to 2040 and instead of 12 of the French ones we will get only 8 nuclear ones and at greater cost.

Meanwhile China will have completely modernised it's military by 2027 and a lot can happen in the next 20 years.

This announcement is little more than political theatre with two countries getting to announce big financial contracts and Australia moving the current political narrative away from it's problems with more sabre-rattling while paving the way for a bigger US military presence on our shores.

However I doubt that it will hold voters' attention beyond a couple of weeks or so before reality returns and maybe a bit more economic retaliation from China.

I forgot to add that nuclear fuel does not last "until the sub is scrapped". It has to be periodically replaced and the matter of secure waste storage is yet to be discussed.

Before the diesel/battery era, the original submarines were coal powered. I'm surprised we haven't gone back down that road.

Is Mise- I'm not sure about the Chinese short fly situation.

I was reading about the issues and weight of the British SA-80 and was considering that we have been doing somewhat better with the Steyr despite a few IUD's. Presumably credit to Australian procurement systems.

I found your comments on the Collin's Class interesting and expected that they would stay around for a while.

I am surprised, not one of our fairy right posters has reacted to the grievous insult from those Frogs! This cannot be tolerated, Australian honour is at steak, this is not chicken feed. I suggest our fearless leader Captain Scotty, throw down the gauntlet, and at the same time slap the fact of Frog insulter President Meatybong. Then we shall board our new nuk flag submarine, S.S. Potato Head under the command of Captain Scotty and sail across land and sea to Froggy where we will capture their Eyefull Tower and storm the Bassteel. There we shall take President Meatybong prisoner and demand a ransom of 90 billion bucks in good old Aussie jumbuck, none of that Froggy Frank rubbish! If the Frogs don't pay up, we shall take their Eyefull Tower and other good stuff on board our flag sub and sail back to Aussie where we will put our prizes on display ay Lunar Park in Sydney! That will teach the Frogs to mess with Aussie!

Issy, the fly problem is mostly with gear from Bangladesh, their tracky-daks have no fly. I think a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the Bangoes capital Ulaanbaatar is warranted for such an insult to Australia! What do you think? If the Chows keep giving us lip we can sail one of our new nuclear powered gun boats up the Yahtzee River and the thrust of cold steel from Captain Scotty will teach those red devils a lesson.

Australia is going completely nuclear, I bought a new nuclear powered toaster from K-mart yesterday, I plan to go complete nuk at my house very soon. Do you know anywhere I can buy cheap plutonium? BTW spent plutonium, does it go in the red bin with the other garbage, or in the yellow bin for recycling on council bin night?

One of the sillier posts on this thread, apart from Paul's pathetic attempt at humour, was the refrain about the cost of this deal when there are homeless people. It is extremely naive to think that money NOT spent on defence would be spent on homeless people or any other charity. Life is not like that.

The best and smartest thing to happen within the Coalition - the only good thing really - has been announced, yet the negative ranters and idiots still rush in to demonstrate what we already know - that they are stupid.