The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently operates six diesel-electric Collins-class submarines, which are based at Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling, south of Perth in Western Australia. The Department of Defence plans to build at least eight nuclear submarines by 2040 as well as a new submarine base on the east coast.
The Belgorod nuclear-powered submarine, pictured in 2019. The Russian Navy has taken delivery of what is the world's longest known submarine, one its maker touts as a research vessel – but what others say is a platform for espionage and possibly nuclear weapons.
The decision marked a major change in defence policy for Australia, whereby it decided to acquire a submarine capability that could project power far from home in areas like the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
The introduction of nuclear-powered submarines will require substantial development of Australia's scientific and engineering capacity. We cannot afford to drag our feet on this.
The submarines are to be built in Australia under the AUKUS arrangement with the United States and United Kingdom. Australia is yet to choose a US or UK submarine, but reactors on both use highly enriched, or 'weapons grade', nuclear fuel that does not need to be replaced for the boat's 30-year life.
Even so, nuclear-powered submarines presented Australia with three problems. First, they are expensive to design, build, maintain, and operate. They would require specialized personnel, infrastructure, and training facilities that Australia currently does not have.
The U. S. Navy's Ohio-class guided missile submarine tops a ranking of the 49 most advanced and dangerous submarines in the world.
China's six Jin-class submarines are now “equipped with JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Adm. Sam Paparo, the head of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told military reporters at a conference in Washington.
At the top of the world, we only see the US Navy's Seawolf class of attack submarines. Their amazing capabilities and armament come with an impressively high cost. Due to that, only three boats were built and serve in the Navy until today.
Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons and is not seeking to become a nuclear weapon state. Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon state are set out in the NPT. They include a solemn undertaking not to acquire nuclear weapons.
We are one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the Pacific region, with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions.
The GFP index denotes Australia as a Top 20 world power. For 2023, Australia is ranked 16 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2567 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/05/2023.
“The United States today has more naval capability overall but China's naval modernization effort since the 1990s has substantially reduced the U.S. advantage, and if current U.S. and Chinese naval capability trends do not change, China might eventually draw even with or surpass the United States in overall naval ...
Nuclear power stations are expensive and take too long to build. CSIRO says by far the lowest cost way of producing electricity is with solar and wind even when factoring in storage. In contrast, the costs of building and operating nuclear in Australia remain prohibitively high.
Under the 1985 South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, Australia accepted a legal obligation never to acquire nuclear weapons or host them on its territory.
Under the Aukus deal, Australia will buy at least eight submarines from either the US or the United Kingdom.
Sailors assigned to the Australian navy Collins-class submarine HMAS Sheean (SSG 77) prepare to receive hotel services and supplies during a bilateral training event with the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), Sept. 13, 2019.
A new submarine base will be built on the east coast of Australia to support the nation's new nuclear-powered submarines, providing deployment opportunities in both the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Under the AUKUS alliance with those partners established last year, Australia is set to construct at least eight nuclear submarines of its own, likely deploying them in the latter half of the 2030s. A study on the base construction is to be completed by the end of 2023, leading to the selection of the site.