logo
Instead of wasting more time on the flawed Aukus submarine program, we must go to plan B now

Instead of wasting more time on the flawed Aukus submarine program, we must go to plan B now

The Guardian11-03-2025

The Trump administration's actions in abandoning long-term alliances with Europe, support for Nato and Ukraine is a wakeup call. The new reality underscores the need for a fundamental review of arrangements to supply Australia's nuclear-powered submarines. We need a sovereign solution which avoids vulnerability to a change in US and UK priorities and shortfalls in their defence budgets.
The new UK-designed submarine, 'Aukus-SSN', is too big and too expensive for Australia's geographical and strategic needs. It is also likely to be too late and over budget. The UK's defence budget is under extreme stress as the country's priorities swing firmly to Europe.
The proposal to sell us submarines from the US navy's inventory as a stop gap is a pipe dream. Not only is the mix of different types of SSN logistically impractical for Australia's small navy but the US will not be able to construct additional submarines in time to meet its own needs and cover the gap between the retirement of the Collins until arrival of Aukus-SSN. As the nominee for head of policy at the Pentagon, Elbridge Colby, has warned, the US faces 'a very difficult problem' in meeting its pledge to supply three Virginia-class submarines to Australia.
It is time for plan B: building the smaller, cheaper, easier-to-crew French Suffren-class boat.
Timescale is the first critical criterion. The first of Australia's Collins-class submarines retires in 2038, having served 40 years. We should aim to commission a replacement submarine no later than 2036, providing two years to achieve an operational capability. Thereafter we should deliver a new submarine every two years, replacing each Collins as they retire. Nuclear propulsion provides higher speed and superior mobility. This makes the nuclear-powered submarine more flexible and survivable, compared with a conventional submarine.
Australia's submarines must be optimised for anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare. Intelligence and surveillance contribute to our understanding and provide warning of developing threats.
Personnel requirements are the second key issue. The Royal Australian Navy is already having difficulty recruiting and retaining personnel; the crew size of the new submarine should be a critical selection criterion.
Against this backdrop, the options for plan B are obvious (and limited). The Suffren-class SSN, now in production for the French Navy, meets these criteria. It would be significantly cheaper to build, own and crew than the Virginia or Aukus-SSN. Suffren's smaller size and better manoeuvrability makes it more capable in the shallow and confined waters of most interest to us in Australia's north.
Australia could operate the 12 Suffren demanded by our geography and still need fewer crew members and at less cost than the Aukus plan for eight larger submarines. Suffren is designed to Nato standards, assuring interoperability with US and UK allies.
We should cease making payments for unspecified and uncontracted support to the US and UK's submarine enterprises. We must begin urgent preparations for jointly building the first batch of three Suffren with France, before evolving to a fully Australian build, with Australian design support.
Issues such as where the first batch are built – Cherbourg or Adelaide – and the amount of change, if any, in the first batch are matters for early resolution. The priority should be meeting the delivery target. The ability to evolve the SSN design during the building program, to meet changes in both threat and requirement and to maximise an Australia-based supply chain should also be priorities.
This would be best achieved by Australia buying the design IP and rights, establishing a sovereign capability to act as the design authority for the new SSN; as was done for the Swedish-designed Collins class. Dependencies such as ongoing supply of the reactors, refuelling and design support should an integral part of the plan.
The incoming federal government, of whichever persuasion, needs to commit to urgent implementation of plan B, with an aim of beginning the build by 2028. Time is tight. This is not a case of 'she'll be right' – continuing to invest more time and resources in the flawed Aukus-SSN program, which is subject to US goodwill and vulnerable to US and UK's over-stretched defence budgets, is not an option if we are to develop a sovereign submarine capability.
In an increasingly uncertain world, we do not want to be left without submarines to protect an island nation.
Peter Briggs is a retired Royal Australian Navy rear admiral

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jonathan Reynolds mocks Nigel Farage's coal mines plan as an ‘absolute parody'
Jonathan Reynolds mocks Nigel Farage's coal mines plan as an ‘absolute parody'

The Independent

time16 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Jonathan Reynolds mocks Nigel Farage's coal mines plan as an ‘absolute parody'

Jonathan Reynolds has mocked Nigel Farage for wanting to reopen the coal mines in Wales, dubbing him an 'absolute parody'. The business secretary, whose grandfather was a coal miner, admitted that Reform UK are Labour's biggest opponents – but said Mr Farage fails to understand 'the pride in where we're from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future'. Speaking at a media lunch in Parliament, Mr Reynolds also defended the UK's plan for closer trade ties with the US, saying: 'We might have different views but we have to engage with them'. His comments come after Mr Farage announced his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces and 're-industrialise Wales'. On a visit to South Wales, the leader of Reform UK said the resumption of traditional steelmaking and coal production is the party's long-term ambition if it comes to power. The speech came one year ahead of the Senedd elections in May next year, where the party is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination. But Mr Reynolds shot down the plan, telling reporters: 'When I see someone like Nigel Farage go to Wales and say to those people, 'I'm going to reopen the coal mines' and he thinks that's what working class people want - that is an absolute parody of what someone like Nigel Farage thinks that people like I grew up actually want.' He added: 'My grandfather was a coal miner, kind of much like everyone where I grew up… It was a position of real responsibility and family pride. 'He went down the mine fourteen years ago. He had one message for my dad, and that was 'don't go down the mine'. And he became a fireman. 'That's the bit that our opponents don't understand: the pride in where we're from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future.' Acknowledging that Reform is currently Labour's biggest opponent, he said the challenge facing the government is to persuade voters that 'mainstream politics can deliver for them'. Turning to the US trade deal, Mr Reynolds said the UK was able to negotiate one before other countries because Britain has made an effort to understand America's mindset. 'This is not US politics disrupting global trade. This is how global trade has disrupted US politics', he said. 'We might have different views but we have to engage with them.' The business secretary also recounted one phone call with his US counterpart Howard Lutnick, where he said he was worried he was 'going to sell the NHS' because of poor phone signal. 'The Woodhead Pass between South Yorkshire and Manchester is probably the only place in Britain with worse mobile phone reception than working in Parliament…. 'Howard starts talking, but because of the reception, every fifth or sixth word is genuinely cutting out of signal. 'I'm literally slightly worried I'm going to sell the f***ing NHS because of Britain's telecommunications infrastructure. I didn't. And I'm pleased to say we were the first country to get a deal.' The deal, announced last month by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, will see British tariffs on steel and automotive exports to the US slashed in exchange for greater access to the UK for some American goods. But the deal has still not been implemented, with both Washington and London yet to take the necessary steps to reduce tariffs. Mr Reynolds said the UK is 'ready to go' on implementing it's the deal, but is waiting for the White House to finalise it on their side. The business secretary added he was 'very hopeful' that the agreement would come into effect 'very soon', but acknowledged negotiations had not 'always been easy'. A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Labour are continuing to deindustrialise our towns and communities across the country. They don't blink when we lose thousands of well paid jobs in these crucial industries. 'Labour simply don't understand working people. Reform will continue to call for the re-industrialisation of Britain and with it, bring back thousands of well paid jobs.'

UK to invest 200 million pounds in Acorn carbon capture project in Scotland
UK to invest 200 million pounds in Acorn carbon capture project in Scotland

Reuters

time30 minutes ago

  • Reuters

UK to invest 200 million pounds in Acorn carbon capture project in Scotland

LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - Britain will invest 200 million pounds ($272 million) in the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Scotland, the government said on Thursday, fleshing out details of funding for the technology announced in a spending review on Wednesday. Britain has a climate target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and has said CCS will be needed to curb emissions from energy-intensive industrial sectors. Acorn, being developed by Storegga, Shell UK (SHEL.L), opens new tab, Harbour Energy (HBR.L), opens new tab and North Sea Midstream Partners, in St Fergus, Scotland, will capture carbon dioxide emissions from industry and store them under the North Sea. "This vital support will enable the critical work needed to reach Final Investment Decision (FID) and marks a major step forward — not only for Acorn, but for the development of Scotland's CCS infrastructure and the growth of a UK-wide carbon capture and storage industry," Tim Stedman, CEO of Storegga, said in an emailed statement. The government said it would also back the Viking CCS project in the Humber region, in the north of England, without specifying how much it would receive. "This (funding) will support industrial renewal in Scotland and the Humber with thousands of highly-skilled jobs at good wages to build Britain's clean energy future," Britain's energy minister, Ed Miliband, said in a release from Britain's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Once operational, the two projects could capture up to 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the government said. The funding is part of 9.4 billion pounds the government pledged to carbon capture technology over the spending review period and the 21.7 billion pounds it last year said would be spent on CCS over 25 years. ($1 = 0.7352 pounds)

Trump's epic four-word troll of Republican against his 'big beautiful bill' after claiming he was snubbed from White House picnic
Trump's epic four-word troll of Republican against his 'big beautiful bill' after claiming he was snubbed from White House picnic

Daily Mail​

time31 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Trump's epic four-word troll of Republican against his 'big beautiful bill' after claiming he was snubbed from White House picnic

President Donald Trump 's cheeky bite back to a Senate Republican at odds with his 'big, beautiful bill 'made waves across social media platforms Thursday morning. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul had previously told reporters Wednesday that the White House had disinvited him from the annual Congressional Picnic, set to take place there later Thursday evening. But Trump contradicted his own White House on Thursday, indicating that 'of course' Paul and his family could attend. 'He's the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn't he be? Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill,' Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social on Thursday morning. 'It will help to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! I look forward to seeing Rand. The Party will be Great!' Trump concluded. Speaking to reporters out side of the Capitol Wednesday, Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) shared that his invitation to the President's Congressional picnic had been cancelled. 'I've just been told that I've been uninvited from the [ White House ] Democrat will be invited, every Republican invited, but I will be the only one disallowed. I just find this incredibly petty', Paul said. The Daily Mail is reaching out to Paul's office to see if the senator is choosing to take up the president's new invitation. Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social on Thursday morning that 'of course' Senator Rand Paul and his family could attend the White House Congressional picnic President Trump has had Paul in his crosshairs over the past few weeks, as the Senator has been opposing the president's 'big,beautiful' budget bill. Paul's primary opposition to the legislation has been over the projected new additions to the national debt. While he wants to see the President's 2017 tax cuts extended, Paul has portrayed the current $5 trillion in new debt as 'Biden spending levels.' 'This will be the largest increase in the debt ceiling ever in our history. We've never raised the debt ceiling without meeting the target,' Paul told Fox News earlier this month. 'I think it is a terrible idea to do this' Paul told Fox News earlier in June.' During another recent appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, Paul told host Margaret Brennan that the math in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' 'doesn't really add up.' 'One of the things this big and beautiful bill is, is it's a vehicle for increasing spending for the military and for the border. It's about $320 billion in new spending,' Paul said at the time. Trump has been attacking Paul on social media for weeks just as Senate Republicans have been grappling with the massive spending legislation. 'Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting 'NO' on everything, he thinks it's good politics, but it's not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!' Trump wrote on Truth Social. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also piled on. 'Well, anyone who votes against the one big, beautiful bill including Senator Rand Paul, will be voting for a tax hike of more than $4 trillion on the American people and their voters will know about it,' Leavitt warned earlier this month. Paul was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, long before Trump's foray into politics, and was easily reelected to a third term in 2022 during Joe Biden's presidency. Paul is not up for election again until 2028. Kentucky's other Senate seat is up as an open seat in the 2026 midterms election. The commonwealth's senior senator and former Senate leader Mitch McConnell - another running Trump nemesis -- is not running for another term.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store