The deed is done
 

Looking more and more likely to be an off the shelf acquisition (here’s hoping anyway)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-a...-s-11663963244

This appears to be a continuation of the discussions that the previous government had started. The intended outcome is the same as what Dutton had stated.

Derby University open Nuclear Skills Academy

https://www.derby.ac.uk/news/2022/ne...academy-opens/

Very good news. Hopefully teaching about Thorium as well. I gather RR have a couple of pilot projects going.

Interesting story on Channel Noine here last night featuring footage onboard Collins class subs (can't find link).
Statement made that Oz has set up it's own Perisher course - and the first two Commanders have already graduated.
Not much more detail provided though.

https://www.australiandefence.com.au...ourse-launches

Worth a read!

Washington Post

Not really.
A whole lot of noise about something that's been going on for decades: it's not newsworthy to know that retired experts in {a field} get hired on as consultants in that field by interested parties. WaPo is making a mountain out of a molehill.
You may find a better audience for your breathless enthusiasm in the Mil Av thread about military British pilots (no longer in service) in China. (One of the more savvy posters points out that it's not just Brits involved)

Dont like it then dont bother reading, nobody is forcing you to, I found it interesting, I knew it happened but gave me some extra info

No need to get your panties in a bunch if I review an article and offer an honest critique.

Back on topic:
Might the Japanese eventually join into this august alliance?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...-counter-china
22 Oct 2022

Aus Defence Minister saying B-21 is being examined.
https://australianaviation.com.au/20...raider-bomber/

The Australian article (paywalled) says:

Days after a senior American defence chief confirmed the US would consider selling its in-*development B-21 bomber to Australia, Mr Marles said the stealth aircraft were also being examined to give the ADF the ability to hold adversaries at bay over long distances. The capability would be examined as the review considered the wider purpose of the Defence Force, and what it needed to do, Mr Marles said.

The review, being undertaken by former defence minister Stephen Smith and former ADF chief Angus Houston, is running against a backdrop of Chinese aggression towards Taiwan that will form the central scenario for the force posture plans developed under the *process.

I think this is the way they will go, B-21 + upgraded collins or new Diesel electric. I am not convince that labor is on board with the SSN, or more specifically not in the timeframe the LNP were pushing. To me a prefered scheme (with no indication of costs yet) would 12-24 B-21, 6 Upgraded collins or 6 new build KSS-3 and then refurbish locally under close american supervision some 688's. Gives australia a grounding in nuclear sub construction and maintainance ready for the SSN (R/X) programs. And the 688's are about the same displacement as the a planned attack class so any work done on the shipyards in preperation for attack class wont go to waste

I think we are getting SSN. A bomber is a distant maybe. The Collins life extension will go ahead. We won't buy another diesel. Only 4 more months to find out the plan.

I wouldn’t hold my breathe on the USA being able to ramp up sub production to fulfill an Oz order any time soon, or doing any overhauling of older subs except to keep USN numbers up.


https://www.defensenews.com/industry...id-labor-woes/

Defense firms outsource sub, carrier construction amid labor woes

However, the plan to build what we decide to get. Is to do it in Adelaide. Where the Collins was built. We will see.

The last time I looked and put the link in this thread, The US yards said they could produce 3 Virginia's a year. If they had a firm order for such, going forward. They would then invest in the infrastructure. This was even before the talk of a build or part build. For one or two Virginia's for AUKUS, to start us off.

I see that article as being the way they talk to congress, about investment infrastructure. “We are saturated in certain areas of the country. The Northeast is one of those. If we cannot bring the people to the work, we’re going to take the work to the people,” Rucker said.

Also the more states they are in. Gives them a broader base of political support. Perhaps they learnt that from the USAF

It was litterally never the plan. They were going to be certainly domestically assembled, reactors and a propulsion are probably going to be foreign built but assembly would other systems would be done in australia, most likely adeliade

As someone who recalls the ruckus in certain Asian countries about the F-111, I genuinely can’t wait to see their reaction to B-21’s! 🤣

"It was literally never the plan."

we know - and a great deal of time has been spent on here pointing out that it's going to be very difficult and take a long time and lots of $ to build, or even assemble, one in Adelaide

If the US can only build a couple per year after 70 years of experience, and the Brits struggle to produce one every 4 years or so, you can see the scale of the challenge in SA

We did build and maintain 6 Collins

Australia does not need to own B21s. Lets just lease an airbase or two to the US like the UK does.