Successive governments have shied away from serious discussions about national security.
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Articles on nuclear submarines
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The Albanese government’s attempt to sell the AUKUS nuclear submarine plan as a job-creation program is bad economics.
Despite the bipartisanship over both the China threat and AUKUS, the views of experts are divided.
Nuclear submarines may offer protection – but they will leave us with a high-level nuclear waste headache
On the face of the announcements made so far, the deal complies with international law, despite accusations to the contrary from China and other critics.
The plan will see Australia supplied with nuclear-propulsion submarines more than a decade earlier than preciously envisaged.
The first AUKUS-class submarine will be delivered in the 2040s. We may only get about a decade of use before adversaries can easily detect the new boats.
Albanese is expected to visit Washington in the next two weeks to announce the roadmap for the AUKUS submarine agreement.
The long-awaited plan for Australia to get nuclear-powered submarines is expected next month, as are recommendations from a major strategic review into our defence force.
Australians are becoming more fearful in an insecure world, and want to see the country armed up, favouring more defence spending and the planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.
Michelle Grattan discusses politics with politics + society editor, Amanda Dunn
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Peter Dutton works on faster timetable for nuclear-powered subs.
Michelle Grattan speaks with Defence Minister Peter Dutton about AUKUS, nuclear submarines and Australia's relationship with China and Russia
While all eyes are on China’s response to the new AUKUS security pact, Russia matters, too. After all, it has its own nuclear submarines that could now be marketed all over the region.
ASEAN countries fear a potential arms race and future confrontation between great powers taking place in their region.
The submarine announcement is sure to trigger a new round of debate on whether nuclear energy is right for Australia. But let’s be clear: the technology makes no sense for Australia.
Nuclear submarines are powered by a miniature onboard fission reactor. They can go for decades without refuelling, making them faster, stealthier and much more expensive than conventional submarines.
Nuclear-powered submarines do not need to surface for air, allowing them to be stealthier for longer. But there’s still a million-dollar question: does this make us safer?
Top contributors
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
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Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University
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Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland
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Senior Lecturer, School of Cybernetics, Australian National University
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Associate Professor of National Security and Strategic Studies, Curtin University
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Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
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Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania
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Research fellow, Australian National University
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Emeritus Professor of Complex Systems Science, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
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Adjunct professor, Flinders University
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Senior Research Fellow on Law and the Future of War, The University of Queensland
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Part-time Researcher at CAP Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
