https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/britains-aukus-adviser-briefs-us-and-australian-officials-on-project-review
"...Mr Trump’s tariff plans have raised some concerns about Aukus in Australia and questions remain as to whether Washington can boost US submarine production to meet its own targets and allow sales to Australia.
Among other obstacles, US controls on sensitive defence exports, relaxed for Australia and Britain and the Aukus project in 2024, still apply to certain submarine technology, requiring the issuance of special licences that can be time-consuming to obtain.
There have been concerns, too, about the Australian Labor government’s reluctance to discuss using Aukus submarines against China, something that could hurt US deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific if US vessels are transferred. REUTERS"
6 comments:
Will the Australian election result in any way affect the AUKUS?
/Kjell
Hi /Kjell
I think the answer is no.
Australia's Labor Defence and other senior ministers are probably assured that once the US President (in 2031) rejects Virginias for Australia (on USN advice) those senior ministers would have safely retired. Same for Australian senior Admirals.
Regards Pete
Hi Pete,
Give you politicians some credit.. they will wait for the next US president (hopefully it won’t be JD Vance), then really panic when the Collins class starts to rust through, and the boats have to be decommissioned from 2030.
They will then do another SSK contest and choose the Orka/Attack design again, as Naval Group will happily sell their dated technology, then the first boat will be in the water in 2038, so it’s only be a decade after the Attack class was initially planned.
I just saw how Trump the magnificent was moaning about how American beef is beautiful and should be widely available in Argentina and Australia, both of which have exported beef for well over a century. He will next rail against Canada and the Nordic countries to buy American refrigerators.
I love how the Ukrainians combine McGyver-like ingenuity with technology. The latest report (quoting the head of Ukraine’s GUR) that they shot down two Russian SU-30s in a SAM trap outside Novorossiysk using AIM-9 armed USVs.
This is probably an extension of the FrankenSAM project. https://www.twz.com/news-features/two-russian-su-30-flankers-downed-by-aim-9s-fired-from-drone-boats-ukrainian-intel-boss
Hi Shawn at 5/04/2025 7:01 PM
Even worse. After the President of the day, in 2031, cancels Virginias for Australia. Australia has 3 options:
- wait for a delayed, overbudget, BAE SSN-AUKUS class to become available around 2045.
- recommence a SSK contest: 2 years to select + 15 years to build by slow, expensive ASC in Adelaide. First of class commissioned around 2048.
- or cancel any new submarine plans - relying on XLUUVs for intelligence gathering and surface ships and ASHw missile and land attack F-35s for long range strike.
Trump's latest trick is a 100% tariff on US films made overseas - encouraging the California construction of an Eiffel tower and Louvre for fake Paris shots. And the great Pyramids being built in central LA for Egypt shots.
Cheers Pete
Thanks Shawn this time at 5/04/2025 7:35 PM
UKRAINIAN INNOVATIONS
I'll translate that Ukraine used surface sea drone boats mounting AIM-9 SAMs to shoot down two Russian SU-30 fighter-attack aircraft outside the Russian territory Black Sea fleet port of Novorossiysk. Described here https://www.twz.com/news-features/two-russian-su-30-flankers-downed-by-aim-9s-fired-from-drone-boats-ukrainian-intel-boss
FrankenSAM described here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jN1zVRnEek
Cheers Pete
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