AUKUS Submarines Situation Getting Worse

Since it was announced in 2021 the AUKUS Pillar 1 situation has been getting worse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AUKUS#Pillar_1_%E2%80%93_Nuclear-powered_submarines

From 2028 [1] US completion rates will actually decline from 1.1 standard Virginias per year to 0.8 larger Virginia Block Vs - making availability for the Australian navy even worse. The US is flat out building Columbia-class SSBNs (the highest USN priority - which is where Australia's gifted AUKUS $Billions are ending up). The main US effort is building Columbias until 2042, [2] with sufficient Virginias only available to send to the Australian navy in the mid 2040s. The UK situation of only one or no Astutes available at any one time, is even worse, as this bodes ill for the Astutes' successor, the SSN AUKUS.

Like the Vietnam War that failed, AUKUS is too big to admit failure - until US withdrawal, or reason, forces Australia to withdraw.

[1]  See USS Oklahoma and USS Arizona, the first Virginia Block Vs. expected to be commissioned in 2028. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia-class_submarine#Boats_in_class

[2]  See “All twelve [Columbias] are expected to be completed by 2042…” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia-class_submarine#Overview

China's New 004 Nuclear Carriers to be larger than Fords

China has a continuous build aircraft carrier program that may be catching up to the US Ford carrier program in quality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_aircraft_carrier_programme#List_of_carriers

Despite Western criticism (mainly reliance on conventional propulsion) see here and here China’s latest carrier, the Fujian Type 003, appears relatively successful. It boasts the latest functioning electromagnetic (EMALS) CATOBAR system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_aircraft_carrier_Fujian already used on USS Ford.

The Type 004 is planned to be larger than the Type 003, even 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes larger than a Ford. China has suggested the 004s may use novel TMSR-LF1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMSR-LF1 thorium-based molten-salt reactors. This may be a false claim or at least a technical risk, likely to have a PWR backup plan. Construction of the first 004 started in 2024–2025. The large size of a 004 would permit larger, heavier carrier aircraft (like the J-20) with a higher war-load, and longer range than aircraft on Ford carriers.

Along with China’s 3 existing carriers, 6 x 004s in all may be built to give China regional dominance in the Western Pacific by 2035 over the Fords. This is if Fords continue to have global responsibilities or withdraw to a US coastal defensive posture under America First.

US National Security Strategy 24 Jan 2026 bad for Australia

Inspired by Anonymous' questions at 1/24/2026 6:01 PM :

The US NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY of January 23, 2026 at https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/2003864773/-1/-1/0/2026-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY.PDF written by the US "Department of War" is very America First, saying:

“We [the US] will deter China in the Indo-Pacific through strength, not confrontation. We will increase burden-sharing with allies and partners around the world. And we will rebuild the U.S. defense industrial base as part of the President's once-in-a-century revival of American industry.”

There are 15 references to NATO in the Strategy, but no mention of Australia, ANZUS, the QUAD, or even AUKUS. This may mean the US is downgrading age old links and understandings with Australia. The US seems to be implying US allies, including Australia, should shoulder more of the burden against China.

You ask "why are we spending most of our budget on small numbers of costly platforms interchangeable with the USN and USAF" Only with Australian nuclear submarines (used Virginias probably sent to us in the mid 2040s) could our navy move safely and quickly enough to patrol and defend seas between China and Australia as well as the Taiwan Strait.

Until we have Virginias Australia will be weak against Chinese naval movements. This is noting China is likely to have one or more Type 093 or new 095 SSNs in front of any taskforce near Australia.

Greenland: Trump Loses Control of Republicans and of Big Money

 

Here and above uploaded 12:40am, January 25, 2026 New York time.
The first 10 minutes of the video says it all.

China's nuke sub fleet surpasses Russia's & China's next carrier nuclear powered? after Fujian's flaws

Two excellent articles by Kaif Shaikh writing at Interesting Engineering which is headquartered at New York and Istanbul are:

China’s nuclear submarine fleet size surpasses Russia, closes in on the US: Once a distant competitor, China has surged past Russia in the nuclear submarines count tally, of January 13, 2026 at https://interestingengineering.com/military/china-russia-nuclear-powered-submarine

and

China could use nuclear propulsion for next aircraft carrier after Fujian’s flaws emerge: China’s Fujian carrier has key design limits and its next nuclear carrier could be built to overcome them, of January 19, 2026 at https://interestingengineering.com/military/china-nuclear-propulsion-aircraft-carrier

Trump's Demented Peace Prize Invasions: Iran No Hope

Trump has so many future invasions to go to strangely justify his Peace Prize illusions:

- as some sage said pressuring Mexico's police and military (especially with US Reaper drones with Hellfire missiles) against drug cartels.

- re-invading Cuba to remove the Cuban stand against US Monroe Doctrine imperialism over the Western Hemisphere once and for all

- invading Columbia (less drugs - more oil)

- re-invading Panama to save it from Russia or Cuba

- aggressively seizing Greenland to "save it" from non-existent Chinese ships sailing by and from Russian aggression. US will offer to buy Greenland "or else". (more oil and rare earths for the USA).

- another regime change in Iran - reassuring Iranian protesters that the US can help them in some vague way. US bombing Iran would increase deaths on all sides in Iran. More oil for the US to control. Recall the contentious role of Voice of America/Radio Free Europe in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 that gave many Hungarian protesters misplaced hope. 

- the false ceasefire in Gaza involves a permanent Israeli occupation of much of it and Israeli bombings right up to now. Meanwhile Trump is threatening US force only against Hamas-Gazans. 

The race to fix the world Trump style is on - before Trump's Dementia becomes official.

Signs of dementia in Trump include:

- memory loss (especially recent events)

- confusion with time/place

- communication issues (talking and acting inappropriately)

- poor judgment

- personality changes (like apathy, depression, Aggression) and

- difficulty planning or solving problems.