N-submarines well worth the wait – Kim Beazley

Eminent Australian political leader Kim Beazley has weighed in on the AUKUS submarine debate, writing that the submarines were necessitated by Australia’s strategic position in our region.

Beazley, a former Governor of Western Australia, Ambassador to the United States and federal opposition leader, said Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines would be worth the wait, and the cost.

Beazley said: “For Australia this is a long-term programme.

“There’s urgency in our defence situation, but our immediate major tasks are to support American and British submarines rotated through the HMAS Stirling naval base and to train crews, maintenance personnel and construction workers.

“We hope that deterrence works and those boats don’t have to turn lethal.

“They will come just in time to replace our six Collins-class submarines as the development of underwater interception capabilities makes the environment lethal for conventional boats.”

This week the federal government moved to extend the life of the conventionally powered Collins class submarines, ahead of an initial deployment of US and UK nuclear submarines in Perth.

This will be followed by the supply of Virginia class submarines from the United States in the 1930s, and the construction of a new submarine design in Adelaide – SSN-AUKUS.

Beazley said nuclear submarines could carry many more missiles and torpedoes than conventional ones, and can range over broader areas at greater speed. While military capabilities on the surface or on land could potentially be targeted, SSNs cannot.

“This is the essence of our deterrence – a heavy weapon that can hit targets on land and sea.

“Previously that was the role of the F-111 bomber.”

Beazley said the government understood the essential deterrent value of SSNs, for which Australia had no equivalent.

“The defence minister is constantly being asked why we must have SSNs despite their high cost.

“The $369 billion over 30 years is a bagatelle compared with what we will spend on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and many other social programs over that period.”

Beazley said for the AUKUS submarine to be a reality, Australia had to have the US ITAR technology export restrictions lifted.

In any case the US could benefit from a two way flow of technologies.

“The Americans have identified areas including quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonics where our research is ahead of theirs.

“Anthony Di Stasio, who oversees Defence Production Act grants, has suggested Australia would help bolster US supply chains for critical minerals like cobalt and explosive materials like TNT.

“No SSNs are due until the 2030s and, in the meantime, the structures to support rotating allied forces are relatively easy to establish. The future crews can be trained on allied boats.

“The capability is worth the effort.”

Further reading:
Life of Collins submarines to be extended
Players line up for AUKUS as Huntington Ingalls bets on Australia

Picture: BAE Systems/SSN-AUKUS