Australia’s Navy chief has launched a strident defence of our nation’s ageing Collins-class submarines as he lashed critics of the AUKUS nuclear program.
Delivering the opening address at the Submarine Institute of Australia’s conference in Canberra, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said “Australia’s submarines are the cornerstone of our deterrence strategy”.
“We maintain our economic prosperity by maintaining access to the seas and maintaining access to the seas in our time is no longer guaranteed,” he added.
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Vice Admiral Hammond used the speech to punch back at what he says has been constant criticism of the boats since they were introduced in the 1990s.
“The Collins-class are regarded as world-class diesel boats which continue to conduct a variety of successful operations for our nation,” he said.
The Vice Admiral told delegates that despite reports only one of the submarines is currently fully operational, the Navy is meeting government requirements.
“You don’t see a headline in the media when we have four submarines at sea at the same time as we did just a few months ago, or when two submarines are concurrently deployed thousands of miles form home port as they were just a couple of months ago,” he said.
The Navy chief said the success of the diesel-powered boats is the reason the United States and United Kingdom have agreed to share their nuclear secrets, to help Australia develop its own fleet of AUKUS submarines.
But he said he’s seen the same doubts and scepticism that has been levelled at the Collins-class boats, now directed at the $368 billion nuclear submarine program.
“To the critics I submit that where Australia has succeeded before, I am confident we will again,” Vice Admiral Hammond said.
“Remember we’re not changing the nature of our submarine operations, we’re just changing the propulsion system which enables them.
“We’ve done difficult things before…seems to me the deck is stacked in our favour.
“The SSN silent, unseen presence will project power and instill caution in the minds of potential adversaries, it will bolster our deterrence capability.”
US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy said she had “absolutely no doubt…Australia is ready for this.”
She told the conference the task ahead reminded her of her late father, former President John F. Kennedy’s decision to send a man to the moon.
“I know that people doubt the complexity and the boldness of AUKUS but he obviously set our nation on a path that has created the information economy that has benefited our country for all these years, and he did it because it was hard and because he knew it would bring out the best in us….this is the same kind of thing,” Ms Kennedy said.
Defence Minister Richard Marles also moved to allay concerns a potential Donald Trump victory in tomorrow’s US Presidential election could put the AUKUS plan in jeopardy.
“AUKUS is in the strategic benefit and interest of Australia, the US and the UK…that will continue to be the case at the end of this week as it is at the beginning,” he said.