Nuclear Powered Subs for Australia

[coyote302]

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/federal-ministers-fly-to-canberra-amid-big-us-australia-news-announcement/news-story/72b68a5756b0acb81845137c8157951b

About time, and all the "Climate Alarmist" should be happy too as these subs will have zero emissions.

[AlbertM]

Why do we need these Subs at all?

[stp01]

It will be interesting to see what this really means. I have thought for years that we should be buying US submarines - they're proven and The US have been a long term ally. But there's little detail here as to what subs we're actually getting/building.

The French option just reeks of a another Collins class disaster.

[Troy01505]

Why do we need these Subs at all?

Probably come in handy when China come to take the last small percentage of land and industry they don't have in their possession yet.

Oh wait, the government will give them to that!

[AlbertM]

Why do we need these Subs at all?

Probably come in handy when China come to take the last small percentage of land and industry they don't have in their possession yet.

Oh wait, the government will give them to that!

Exactly. China is a major trading partner. They don't have to invade to get what they want.

BTW I was on for a argument until I read your last line. 

[madbugger]

Just waiting now for the announcement that the Port of Darwin lease has been torn up. Can't see that being allowed to continue once the subs are here

[CP]

What happens to all the billions we paid the French to re engineer them to run on truck fuel?

[AlbertM]

$2.8Billion down the drain.

[madbugger]

$2.8Billion down the drain.

Better than spending $80-90 Billion over the next 15 yrs and then finding out it is a lemon (which by most indicators it will be).

[AlbertM]

Agreed

[mikeamerica84]

A boon for Adelaide.  A boon for your country.  This could maybe lead to nuclear electrical generating plants, but that will take more citizen buy-in. 

Carbon free, gents.  It is the profession I have been in since 1978.

[AlbertM]

Aussie are nuclear-phobic when it comes to having it anywhere habitable. Still too many "simple folk" that can't get their head around the science.

[mikeamerica84]

Aussie are nuclear-phobic when it comes to having it anywhere habitable. Still too many "simple folk" that can't get their head around the science.

Oh I know of that whole deal, Albert.

What will be interesting, though, is the Aussie sailors will have to be trained in nuclear propulsion.  I wonder if they are just going to ship them over here and train them in the States where we already have the schools and the land-based prototype propulsion units.  Or even send them the Great Britain? 

When I was in the Navy we had prototype units in three different parts of the country.  They were mockups of actual ship/boat nuclear plants.  Then they scrapped that idea in the late '90s and moved everything to Charleston, SC.  Took a couple of old fleet ballistic missile subs, tied them up to the pier, and actually just used THEM for the hands on training.  Instead of having a screw (propeller) they just used a water brake rig.

It will be interesting to see how and where they train these squids.  I'm excited for them all.

[coyote302]

Aussie are nuclear-phobic when it comes to having it anywhere habitable. Still too many "simple folk" that can't get their head around the science.

The Greens are the worst for being nuclear-phobic, they should be the ones pushing for it.

[AlbertM]

There is talk of leasing US subs until ours are built. So I would imagine Aussie crews would be trained on the job.