Australia Is Planning To Have A Lot Of Submarines To Counter China

HMAS 'Collins.' Commonwealth of Australia

Forbes: Australia Has A Plan For Battling China—Add Lots And Lots Of Submarines

China’s navy is on the rise, steadily adding new and better ships and submarines. Western and allied fleets are trying to keep some. Some are succeeding. Others ... aren’t.

The U.S. Navy, for one, is lost at sea, its planning and budgeting in chaos amid collapsing leadership. The Pentagon wants to grow the fleet from today’s 300 front-line ships to 355 by 2030 or so. But there’s no plan, money or political will to do so.

The Americans could look west for an example. The Royal Australian Navy with its 17,000 sailors and 50 or so large ships isn’t big—for comparison, the U.S. Navy’s payroll is more than 400,000.

But the Australian fleet is modern, balanced and in the early stages of a wide-ranging modernization and expansion that, while expensive, appears to achievable. This new fleet could give Australia the naval muscle to stand up to an increasingly assertive China.

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WNU Editor: It looks like the Australians have a plan. But they are still a minor power when compared to China.

Australia Signs $50 Billion Submarine Contract With France

A submarine under construction at Naval Group's Cherbourg yard. The French firm won the contract to build 12 new attack-class subs for Australia. (Photo: AFP/Charly Triballeau)

Reuters: Australia signs $50 billion submarine contract with France after two-year squabble

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia signed a production contract with French shipbuilder Naval Group on Monday for a fleet of 12 new submarines, worth A$50 billion ($35.5 billion), ending a two-year wrangle that cast doubt over one of the world’s most lucrative defense deals. Australia selected the French builder as its preferred bidder for the fleet of submarines in 2016 ahead of other offers from Japan and Germany.

However, final contracts were delayed amid domestic media reports of cost blowouts and production delays.

Australia and Naval Group signed a Strategic Partnering Agreement, the overall contract to guide the construction, to end the impasse.

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Update #1: Australia signs massive sub deal with French firm (AFP)
Update #2: Contract to build new Australian submarines to be signed today (The Australian)

WNU Editor: At almost $3 billion per sub, they better perform as promised.

Australia's Newest Submarine Will Be Called 'Attack'

Very proud to announce our future submarines will be known as the #AttackClass. The name represents the inherent stealth, long-range endurance and lethality of a #submarine. The first submarine, HMAS Attack, is expected in the early 2030s. #neverwaver #AusNavy #ThinkFightWinNavy pic.twitter.com/G30BlEqO8y

— Chief of Navy Australia (@CN_Australia) December 13, 2018

FoxTrot Alpha: Australia Names New Attack Submarine The, Uh, Attack

Australians the world over are known for being, well, let’s just say uncomplicated. So it’s fitting that it has decided to name the first submarine slated to replace its current slate of Collins-class attack submarines with a new generation of attack subs, starting with the HMAS Attack.

The deeply-considered name was announced by the Chief of the Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, on Twitter:

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WNU editor: Simple. To the point. Not complicated. You just got to love the Aussies.

France Wins Contract To Build Australia’s New Submarine Fleet

BBC: France wins A$50bn Australia submarine contract

France has won a A$50bn (€34bn; £27bn) contract to build 12 submarines for the Australian Navy, beating bids from Japan and Germany.

The deal, announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, is Australia's largest-ever defence contract.

The Shortfin Barracuda submarines will be built in Adelaide using Australian steel, creating 2,800 jobs, he said.

Japan, which had been a frontrunner in the contest, said the decision was "deeply regrettable".

Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said Japan would "ask Australia to explain why they didn't pick our design".

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More News On France Winning The Contract To Build Australia’s New Submarine Fleet

Australian submarines: France wins $50bn contract -- The Australian
Australia says French company wins huge submarine contract -- AP
France beats rival bidders to $40 billion Australian submarine deal -- Reuters
French Shipbuilder Wins $39 Billion Australian Submarine Deal -- WSJ
France wins $39bn contract to build fleet of world’s ‘most sophisticated’ subs for Australia -- RT
Australia Chooses French Design for Future Submarine -- Defense News
France to build Australia’s new submarine fleet as $50bn contract awarded -- The Guardian
France to build Australia a new fleet of submarines -- DW
It's Official: France's DCNS Wins Australia's $50 Billion Future Submarine Contract -- The Diplomat
French Design Wins Australia’s Next Generation Submarine Competition -- USNI News
France Wins Bid to Build Australia Next-Generation Submarines -- Sputnik
Hollande's `Bus Full of Generals' Helps Beat Germans to Sub Deal -- Bloomberg
Here's the amazing list of submarines this French company has built for other nations -- Business Insider

Australia Navy Seizes Fishing Boat Loaded With Weapons En-route To Somalia (Or Yemen)

Weapons including AK-47 assault rifles and rocket launchers were found aboard a small stateless fishing boat bound for Somalia on February 27. Royal Australian Navy

NBC: Australia Navy Finds 2,000 Weapons on Somalia-Bound Fishing Dhow

More than 2,000 weapons including assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and mortar tubes were found hidden under nets aboard a small fishing boat bound for Somalia, American and Australian officials said Monday.

A team from Australian frigate HMAS Darwin discovered the cache last month some 195 miles off the coast of Oman.

The U.S. Navy believes the boat had set off from Iran and that the crew were Iranian, Lt. Ian McConnaughey, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, told NBC News in an email.

McConnaughey said an initial assessment indicated the weapons were destined for Yemen to be used by Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels in the country's civil war.

The weapons were discovered aboard a dhow on Feb. 27 but the find was only announced Monday.

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WNU Editor: Who says it was going to Somalia .... maybe it was going to Yemen?

Update: Just found a UPI post that is speculating the same thing .... Australian navy seizes 2,000 weapons possibly en route to Yemen's rebels (UPI).

More News On The Australian Navy Seizing a Fishing Boat Loaded With Weapons

Australian Naval vessel seizes weapons cache bound for Somalia -- DW
Australia navy seizes weapons cache on 'Somali-bound' boat -- BBC
Huge weapons haul seized heading for Somalia -- AFP
Australian navy says it seized weapons headed for Somalia -- AP
Australian Navy Seizes Huge Weapons Cache Off Somalia -- GCaptain
Huge weapons haul seized heading for Somalia -- News 24
Weapons seized by Australia may have come from Iran, intended for Houthis -- CNN

Australia`s Navy Looking For Some Good Sailors

Down Under: Troops being made redundant by the Royal Navy could be heading to Australia

Royal Navy's Loss Is Australia's Gain: Oz Recruits British Sailors Axed Under Coalition Cuts -- Daily Mail

British sailors facing redundancy as part of defence cuts could be snapped up by the Australian navy.

More than 1,000 are being sought to start a new life Down Under, with those with engineering experience the prime targets.

A delegation from Australia’s Defence Force has been on a secret mission to Britain to investigate signing up sailors who face the axe.

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Update: Australian military 'to recruit British troops laid-off in UK cuts' -- The Telegraph

My Comment: I suspect that the weather will be better.

Can You Sue The Navy If You Get Pregnant?

LAWSUIT: Naval recruits in a graduation parade at HMAS Cerberus, where the complainant was serving when she became pregnant. Source: Herald Sun

Sailor Sues Royal Australian Navy For Failing To Detect Her Unwanted Pregnancy -- Courier Mail

A SAILOR wants the Federal Government to help fund the cost of raising her child after defence medical staff repeatedly failed to detect her pregnancy.

Emily Hetherington, now 22, claimed that if they had detected the pregnancy she would not have proceeded with it, according to documents lodged with the Supreme Court of Victoria.

She did not find out about her condition until she was 22 weeks pregnant, at which stage she was advised it was too late to have an abortion.

Ms Hetherington has launched legal action against the Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Defence), claiming it was negligent.

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My Comment: She did NOT know until 22 weeks later that she was pregnant .... and she is in the military?!?!?!

I am not surprised that she is seeking a trial by judge alone. My gut is telling me that she probably knows that in a jury trial, one of the jurors would regard her claims as ludicrous.

Royal Australian Navy Buys A 'Lemon'

The Royal Australian Navy's ship the Largs Bay. Picture: Australian Defence Force Library. The Daily Telegraph

Navy's New $100 Million Ship Labelled 'HMAS Lemon Scented' -- Herald Sun

THE navy's newest $100 million amphibious ship has been tagged "HMAS Lemon Scented" after a major inspection earlier this year uncovered a raft of serious technical faults in the second-hand British vessel.

The problems include overheating of the propulsion motors and transformers and faulty air handling units that "could cause respiratory problems among passengers and crew - in particular legionnaires disease", the chief engineer officer's report says.

Overheating means that the ship cannot maintain full speed and the lack of natural ventilation means she can't operate at higher speeds "especially in higher sea temperature conditions".

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My Comment: The Australians are learning what the Canadians learned when they bought second hand subs from Britain .... these vessels were not up to the standards that the Brits led us to believe.

Drug Scandal Hits The Australian Navy

Australian Naval Base Raided Over Drug Trafficking Claims -- The Telegraph

Australian officials investigating claims that navy personnel are operating a drug trafficking ring in Sydney have discovered a range of illegal drugs during raids on a large naval base.

The raids, which were carried out by Australian Defence Force (ADF) and state police, were prompted by reports that sailors were selling drugs from the Garden Island naval base on Sydney Harbour, which is located close to the notorious Kings Cross nightlife district.

"A range of substances and other items were seized and a number of defence personnel were tested for prohibited substance use," the ADF said in a statement.

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More News On The Australian navy's Drug Scandal

Navy drug suspect list hits 17 following police raids on Garden Island naval base -- News.com.au
Guns and ecstasy found as police investigate navy for drugs and extortion -- Herald Sun
Sailors accused of running drug ring -- ABC News (Australia)
Drugs scandal threatens Australian Navy -- NZHerald
Australia probes alleged navy drug ring -- AFP
Sailors use Australian navy ships to 'import cocaine, heroin' -- Radio Australia News

Problems With Australia's Submarine Fleet Continues

HMAS Rankin

Navy's Collins-Class Fleet 'Reduced To One Working Submarine' -- The Australian

THE navy's trouble-prone $6 billion submarine fleet has been reduced to one operational boat, raising serious questions about the long-term serviceability of the six Collins-Class vessels designed to serve as Australia's frontline strike weapon.

Chief of the navy Russ Crane yesterday confirmed a generator failure last week on board HMAS Farncomb meant the submarine would have to be returned to dry dock for urgent repairs.

Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said by his count, the Royal Australian Navy's operational submarines were now down to one - HMAS Rankin - and the government had a major maintenance crisis to solve.

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More News On Australia's Submarine Fleet

Navy has only one working submarine left -- News.com.au
Collins submarine's generator fails -- Sydney Morning Herald
HMAS Farncomb Collin-class submarine in maintenance due to electrical failure -- Defence Professionals
Sub fleet dead in the water: Opposition -- ABC News (Australia)

Cooks On Australian Submarines Are Paid More Than Admirals ($160,000)

The current Australian fleet of six Collins submarines is set to be doubled.
(www.defence.gov.au)

Galley Gold -- Strategy Page

June 9, 2009: Yet another shocking revelation about the Australian submarine force is the fact that the cooks onboard these boats make more (about $160,000 a year) than some admirals. It's all about morale, which is very important on submarines. A major component of good morale in all navies is the food, and this is particularly true on submarines. Australia's booming economy has created a shortage of skilled personnel. Being able to produce good food in the crowded confines of a submarine galley requires a skilled chef with excellent organizational skills, and the ability to master basic skills required of all who serve on a sub. Turns out that there are not many men in Australia who possess this skill set. Thus while basic pay for a navy cook is $47,000, it grows quickly once you add the bonuses for being at sea, in a submarine, and hard to recruit. There are three cooks on each sub.

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My Comment: Cough .... cough .... I love to cook.

Australia: Submarine's Crew Was 20 Seconds From Death

Photo: HMAS Dechaineux

From The Australian:

BUT for a few desperate seconds, it would have been our worst military disaster since the Voyager.

The flood aboard the HMAS Dechaineux on February 12, 2003, was the catalyst for the series of submarine safety reforms revealed in The Australian today.

The incident remains seared in the minds of the submarine's 55 crew who came within 20 seconds of death.

"It changed my life," Able Seaman Geordie Bunting said later. "It is the closest I would like to come to death.

"I don't think there was anybody on our boat who wasn't shit-scared that day. Another five seconds and we would have been in big trouble ... another 10 and you have got to question whether we could have surfaced."

The accident happened off the coast of Perth when the Dechaineux had dived to its deepest depth in order to test its systems under full pressure.

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My Comment: Something to ponder about .... and to give thanks that the worse did not happen.

Australia Temporarily Shuts Down Navy

(Click To Enlarge)
Australian navy ships side profiles (Image from Defense Talk)

From Yahoo News/AP:

CANBERRA, Australia – Australia's navy gets a big Christmas gift this year: two months paid vacation for most sailors that will ease the effects of a recruiting slump but make the service Down Under look something like a part-time operation.

The navy hopes that by making life on the sea more family-friendly, it will attract the extra 2,000 sailors it needs achieve its target strength of 15,000.

Critics say the so-called shut down, which inspired a front page newspaper headline Tuesday: "Navy Closes For Christmas," will worry Australia's major defense ally, the United States.

"Mothballing your ships for two months sends totally the wrong message to our region and to our allies," opposition defense spokesman David Johnston told The Associated Press. "I've never heard of anything like this. I'm flabbergasted."

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My Comment: Australia is an island. It's first line of defense is its navy. I guess with this order Australia has made the decision to no longer seriously defend its borders. This decision sends the wrong message to everyone.