At the end of 2021, we wonder if Australians would ever have the nuclear submarines they dream of. The matter is about to be resolved and not in the direction of Canberra. According to The Guardian, which is based on several reports, including one from the US Congress, “Australia has virtually no chance of getting a submarine.”
American defense is facing a significant capacity deficit and is calling on its entire industry, which has the country’s armies as a priority. Additionally, Congress notes that submarine construction costs have risen sharply due to stress on components and raw materials.
This situation affects spare parts, which even causes delays in the maintenance of active submarines that must be updated to increase their useful life while a new generation takes over.
The British sector will also not be able to meet this demand, as the Australian government hoped.
High bill for Australians
It is a real blow to Australia, which faces the retirement of its submarines in 2040 and risks not finding replacements before then. The only option would be to upgrade the Collins to keep it operational longer than planned.
Enough to increase the bill even more: the cost of this refloating is estimated at more than 6,000 million Australian dollars, or 4,000 million euros.
For Australians, the bill may be heavier than expected since the cancellation of the contract with France. Australia will pay compensation of 555 million euros to the industrial naval group to put a financial end to the French submarine affair, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced last June.
Source: BFM TV
