Surely the message here is not in the details of the contract or the specific tech transfers, rather it is that the US is actively disseminating nuclear technology in Australia/Asia.
China has done zip to halt the North Korean nuclear effort, so the US will help its friends to arm up correspondingly. South Korea, India, Japan and Taiwan are on the agenda, imho in that order.
China will be deterred militarily, that is relatively easy. The commercial dependencies will be a lot more difficult to deal with.

I get that the hardware might be a little better (which they could have ordered instead anyway) but I still fail to see what the country of Australia has to gain. Don’t get me wrong, I am everything BUT a China fan but in my eyes AUKUS has changed Australia in an American vassal state with the risk of seriously pissing of their biggest trade partner.

keep your friends close but your enemies closer!

AUKUS is a lot more than just the headline grabbing sub decision, theres been a lot more subtle stuff already come and expected more over the coming months

And is damned all use in littoral waters.

An SSN at speed is easy to track passively.

Count of Monte Bisto

A minor point but the ROKS vessel 'Cheonan' was sunk in 2010 by a North Korean submarine.

I think it's just possible that combat tactics forms part of the Commanders course.

I think it's just possible I have something over 1000 hrs Nimrod. Your move.

And their time in theatre is what compared to a SSN?

You tell me. You are obviously an expert.

My genuine respect - poorly worded. I just meant that presumably they wouldn't deliberately make it easy for you. I'm out.

The point is, even when they are quiet, SSNs make noise that can be tracked.

Not to suggest in any way that there is any implication of impropriety in this Australian deal, but consider the larger picture and history. It is easy to understand the outrage over this submarine deal that is now underwater, however, it is always worth considering the history of the righteous state-owned builder and some of their past deals? These implicate individuals at the highest levels of Government on both sides of the deal and have had major political and criminal implications that run for decades in some cases. The sums of money involved are staggering and there is no way they are paid without visibility at the highest levels of business and government.

https://corruption-tracker.org/case/...arine-contract
https://corruption-tracker.org/case/...bmarine-affair
https://corruption-tracker.org/case/laffaire-karachi
https://corruption-tracker.org/case/...frigate-affair

Corruption from other suppliers and countries remains a major issue in the arms business where huge amounts of money are involved, and the contemporary global compliance efforts must be wholeheartedly applauded.

So the perfect weapons system hasn’t been developed yet, got it.


Somehow you missed the link early in this thread that provides estimates on endurance vs range.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ubmarine-force

I know you are an expert, but is the Sea of Okhotsz a littoral zone/water and didn't US operate a nuclear sub there quite successfully?

Oh FFS!

My point I merely pointed out that SSNs are easier to track than are SSKs, as you would know if you had ever had to do so. Get over yourselves.

I have no personal experience of tracking subs but have talked to PC3 Orion Pilots who have and you are undoubtedly correct.
However 2 big factors in favour of nuclear subs. Range and access to the whole suite of sensor technology etc.
Range has always been a big issue for the RAN and is what probably what ruled out the German option.
Five years ago the nuclear option was not on the table. As soon as it was it was a nobrainer.

Didn't turball mention in memoirs that he picked the french because there was an option to change later deliveries back to nuclear subs

Anyone like to comment. Are we in the poo, the Fat Man is also complaining about the neuclearisation.

No major nuclear power is going to deploy nuclear weapons, the first country to launch is the second country to die