Of all the questions that have emerged about the future make-up of Australia’s new submarine fleet, one has been conspicuous by its absence: do we actually need them in the first place? No doubt strategic…
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has stood by the term “competitive evaluation process” despite many questioning what it means.
Nikki Short/AAP
It appeared to be the announcement Australian industry had been waiting for. Finally, political pressure on prime minister Tony Abbott’s leadership had forced a “fair go” for Australian shipbuilding. On…
If Tony Abbott loses office in the near future, his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will suffer a not-inconsiderable setback.
EPA/Barbara Walton
As Prime Minister Tony Abbott dusts himself down after what might be the first of a number of challenges to his leadership, interest in Japan about Australian politics is acute. Japanese political elites…
Defence’s year in 2015 will be defined primarily by its response to the forthcoming white paper.
AAP/Hugh Peterswald
Australia has decisively responded to the strategic uncertainty of contemporary East Asia by forming committees and undertaking reviews. 2015 brings with it Australia’s third defence white paper in six…
Defence Minister David Johnston has offshore-produced submarines in his sights.
Lukas Coch/AAP
In the last week, Defence Minister David Johnston has flagged a “capability gap” if the next fleet of submarines is designed and built in Australia. “We are under such time constraints to avoid a capability…
Das Boot, The Hunt for Red October, The Bedford Incident, We Dive At Dawn: films based on submariners’ experience reflect the tense and unusual nature of undersea warfare – where it is often not how well…
Oh hey, just picking up a few Kanelbulle on the way home.
Victor Ochieng
Rumours of a Russian submarine hanging around off the coast of Sweden have inspired much Cold War nostalgia. But while there is of course the chance that something fishy is going on, there are many plausible…
Rumour has it Australia is about to spend an awful lot of money buying some new submarines. This may not be the sort of thing to get the pulses of the casual reader racing, but it ought to be, not least…
Made in the UK: nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard and Type 45 frigate HMS Dragon.
MOD/Tam McDonald
The controversy over the BAE Systems decision on warship building has been dominated by myth, emotion and pleading. Arguments are raging about English versus Scottish jobs, about shipbuilding as a key…
Does Australia really need 12 Joint Strike Fighters?
U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago
The most interesting question relating to the cuts in defence spending announced in the budget is whether they signify the early stages of rethinking security strategy. Of course they should, because there…
Cameron’s voyage was a source of genuine wonder … so why the sinking feeling?
Mark Thiessen/EPA
Today as I ate lunch, Titanic, Terminator and Avatar director James Cameron was at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean. We know this for a couple of reasons. Not only did he…
Are Australia’s Collins class a feat of engineering genius or an expensive boondoggle?
iStock
In 2011 Minister for Defence Stephen Smith announced a review on the Sustainment of Australia’s Collins Class submarines. The review is led by John Coles, an independent expert from BMT Defence Services…
Will a Team Australia approach get the job done?
AFP
Federal Defence Minister Stephen Smith has announced an inquiry into the reliability of Australia’s six Collins Class submarines. He also called for US assistance in building new submarines to replace…