For "regionally superior submarines/boats" see Defence White Paper (
A.) pages 19, 21, 90, 91 and 115. (Poster sourced via
The Guardian)
Australia's 2016 Defence White Paper has been published today - see the Homepage at
http://www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/ .
It consists of the traditional:
A. 2016 Defence White Paper document (large PDF of 10 MB), 191 pages (itself quite long):
http://www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/Docs/2016-Defence-White-Paper.pdf
But what makes it a huge reading and assessment task is that its 191 pages and there are two additional documents (published with it) which are:
B. 2016 Integrated Investment Program (PDF 5MB)
http://www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/Docs/2016-Defence-Integrated-Investment-Program.pdf,
123 pages, and
WORKPLAN
Today I'll just stick to highlighting/extracting mentions of submarine(s) with some bolding and [Bracketed comments on particularly curious parts].
Mid next week I'll comment more broadly on A. though with special mention on naval issues, missiles and jets. Might write on electronic intelligence (if the authorities have spared me still).
Then comment on following weeks on subs, naval, missiles and jets in B. and C.
Writing an overall assessment of all three documents would be better published in late March 2016.
Between White Paper writing will be the usual writing on subs, missiles and jets from around the world as they hit the news.
Returning to:
One way to analyse it is keyword search
to identify frequency of hits and where they are:
Hit Ctrl + F for keyword search, which yields:
70 references to submarine(s) (of which 13 “anti-submarine” have been excluded).
Most submarine(s) are in “Chapter Four: The Future Australian Defence Force” pages 83 to 115. Particularly in the Submarine section, pages 90 to 92.
REFERENCES TO SUBMARINE(S) include:
Page 19
The submarine force will be increased from 6 to
12 regionally superior submarines with a high degree of interoperability with
the United States.
Page 21
The Government will ensure that the future submarine project provides a
regionally superior [better than China's SSNs?] capability and value-for-money for Australian taxpayers
while maximising the involvement of Australian defence industry. The
competitive evaluation process, which is underway, will provide a clear pathway
for Australian defence industry to maximise its involvement in the project,
without compromising capability, cost or the project schedule. More detail on
the Government’s shipbuilding plans are set out in Chapter Four
Page 42
2.11 China’s Navy is now the largest in Asia.
By 2020 China’s submarine force is likely to grow to more than 70 submarines.
China also possesses the largest air force in Asia, and is pursuing advanced
fifth-generation fighter aircraft capabilities. China’s military modernisation
includes more-capable special forces, aviation and command and control networks
and it is also investing in new technologies including space and cyber
capabilities.
Page 50
2.41 Within the broader Indo-Pacific region, in
the next two decades, half of the world’s submarines will be operating in the
region.
On Page 90 begins
the key Section “Submarines” including:
4.25 Submarines are an essential part of Australia’s naval capability, providing
a strategic advantage in terms of surveillance and protection of our
maritime approaches. The Government has determined that regionally
superior submarines with a high degree of interoperability with the
United States are required to provide Australia with an effective deterrent,
including by making a meaningful contribution to anti-submarine warfare
operations in our region. The key capabilities of the future submarine
will include: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance; and support to special operations.
4.26 The Government will increase the size of the
submarine force from six to 12 boats. The doubling in size of the submarine
fleet recognises that Australia will face a more challenging maritime
environment in the decades ahead. By 2035, around half of the world’s
submarines will be operating in the Indo-Pacific region where Australia’s
interests are most engaged. Australia has one of the largest maritime domains
in the world and we need the capacity to defend and further our interests from
the Pacific to the Indian Oceans and from the areas to our north to the
Southern Ocean. Submarines are a powerful instrument for deterring conflict and
a potent weapon should conflict occur.
Page 91
4.27 Australia’s new submarines will be supported by
upgrades to enablers and facilities such as wharves and port facilities [does this mean extra facilities up north in Broome or Townsville?], as
well as simulators, training and submarine rescue systems. The key strategic
requirements for the future submarines include a range and endurance similar to
the Collins Class submarine, sensor performance and stealth characteristics
which are superior to the Collins Class, and upgraded versions of the AN/BYG-1
combat system and Mark 48 MOD 7 heavyweight torpedo jointly developed between the
United States and Australia as the preferred combat system and main armament.
The new submarines will have advanced communications systems to link with other
Navy ships and aircraft to conduct anti-submarine warfare operations.
4.28 The acquisition of the 12 future submarines will
commence in 2016 with the first submarines likely to begin entering service in
the early 2030s. Construction of the 12 new submarines will extend into the
late 2040s to 2050 timeframe. The length of the construction process will mean
that Australia will need to be planning the follow-on submarine well before the
last new submarine enters service. To ensure no capability gap and the ability
to progress development of a replacement submarine in the 2050s, the Government
has decided to implement a rolling acquisition program for Australia’s
submarine fleet. A rolling acquisition program will ensure that Australia is
able to maintain a fleet of 12 regionally superior submarines as submarine and
anti-submarine technologies develop over the coming decades. [Note that Japan's building style is more "rolling" with slight upgrades to each sub, rather than European batch building.]
4.29 During the long life of the new submarines, the
rapid rate of technological change and ongoing evolution of Australia’s
strategic circumstances will continue. As part of the rolling acquisition
program, a review based on strategic circumstances at the time, and
developments in submarine technology, will be conducted in the late 2020s to
consider whether the configuration of the submarines remains suitable or
whether consideration of other specifications should commence.
[If a "review based on strategic circumstances" means that an increased China threat then demands SSNs, then SSNs may be appropriate].
Page 92
4.30 The future submarine program is the largest defence
procurement program in Australia’s history. The Government has already
committed to maximising Australian industry involvement in the submarine
program, without compromising cost, capability, schedule or risk. The
Government will announce the results of a Competitive Evaluation Process in
2016.
4.31 The Government will also continue to make
appropriate investments in the existing Collins Class fleet, including priority
capability enhancements, obsolescence management and fleet sustainment, to
ensure Australia’s potent and agile submarine capability is maintained until
the introduction of the future submarine fleet. This will include upgrades to
the Collins Class communications and sensor capabilities.
4.32 This investment will build on recent improvements to
Collins Class availability. In 2011–12, Collins Class availability was about
half that of the international benchmark and in the past there had been up to
three submarines undergoing long-term maintenance. Following the 2012 Coles
Review and implementation of a comprehensive and innovative transformation
plan, there has been a major improvement in the availability of the Collins
Class, and Defence is on track to reach the international benchmark for submarine
availability by mid-2016. By mid-2016, the submarine HMAS Farncomb will have
completed the first two-year full cycle docking in Adelaide – a maintenance
activity that formerly took over three years to complete. From then onwards
only one Collins Class submarine will be in Adelaide for full cycle docking.
Defence will continue to work closely with industry to implement reforms to
optimise Collins Class availability, reliability and capability.
[Improving the overhaul-sustainment rate will be good. Having more than 5 Commanders to Captain the subs (+ other hard to keep crew members) would also be good. Thinking 8 Commanders for a rolling 8-9 subs will be important.]
[end of submarine only section]
Page 111
4.108 . Innovation
also includes developing new and more efficient ways of maintaining
ADF equipment, such as transforming the management of the Collins
Class submarines to maximise their availability for operations.
Page 114
4.118 The Government has already announced 500
dedicated jobs in the new submarine program for combat system integration,
design assurance and land-based testing.
4.121 France, Germany and Japan, are participating in the
future submarine Competitive Evaluation Process, which will assess their
ability to partner with Australia to deliver the future submarines. These
potential international partners have been invited to provide options for an
overseas, Australian or hybrid build program, and to seek opportunities for
Australian defence industry participation in the future submarine Program. A
decision on which international partner will be selected will be made in 2016.
Pages 114 and 115
4.122 The Government will also ensure a long-term
industrial capability to deliver support to Australia’s submarines in both
construction and sustainment. A rolling acquisition program for the submarine
fleet means managing the acquisition of submarines to ensure Australia
maintains, over the long term, a fleet of 12 regionally superior boats that are
fit for purpose in the period in which they will be operating. A rolling
program of acquiring submarines will provide long-term planning certainty for
Australian industry, allowing those Australian companies involved in the
submarine program to invest in the capabilities needed to support their involvement
in the construction and sustainment activities.
[Again returning to the very rolling nature of Japanese sub building (from the 1960s to the present). Part of that is due to shorter submarine operational life - maybe up to 22 years, but not the US-European standard of 30 years. In view of this how long subs can last (must they last 30 years?) is a major issue.]
Page 147
…with further growth [in ADF positions] beyond the decade
to operate the larger submarine fleet in particular. The generation of crews
with the appropriate mix of skills and experience must be carefully managed to
meet the challenging growth needed to operate Navy’s new submarines and surface
ships. [Indeed]
Page 171
7.25 Proper planning for the acquisition of complex
equipment and systems takes years of analysis and careful decision-making
before acquisitions can commence. This is only proper for the expenditure of
billions of dollars involving decades of effort. New submarines and frigates,
for example, will be brought into service from the 2020s until well into the
2040s and will operate into the second half of this century.
Page 179
8.12 As Chapter Four and the Integrated Investment
Program accompanying the White Paper highlight, substantial new investment will
be required in the first half of the 2020s, including for the acquisition of
the future submarines and frigates,
which will be major drivers of Defence expenditure. The majority of the
additional funding to 2025–26 will be provided from 2019–20 to meet these
requirements.
COMMENT
There is much more on submarines in documents
B. and
C.
Happy to report that
Submarine Matters, over the last 18 months, has coincidentally, been very much across these issues raised in Defence White Paper
A.
Pete
