Half-price super subs tempt navy (Australia)

The Australian ^ | December 26, 2011 | Cameron Stewart

[sukhoi-30mki]

Half-price super subs tempt navy

by: Cameron Stewart

From:The Australian

AUSTRALIA can build a new fleet of 12 state-of-the-art submarines in Adelaide for $18 billion, less than half the cost of initial estimates, according to a major report to be released next month.

The report, by strategic think tank the Kokoda Foundation, will be embraced by the Gillard government, which has been under pressure from critics to opt for smaller, cheaper, ready-made submarines from Europe rather than pursue Navy's more expensive but preferred option of building a next generation of the Collins-class boats.

The report - Australia's Future Submarine, obtained by The Australian - estimates it would cost only $18bn to build a dozen homegrown 3800 tonne "son of Collins" submarines rather than the previously published cost estimate of up to $36bn predicted in 2009 by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

While this would still make it the most expensive military project in the nation's history, it makes it comparable with the second largest military project - the $16bn plan to purchase up to 100 Joint Strike Fighters - and as such it is more likely to receive the go-ahead.

The Kokoda findings will be particularly welcomed by the government at a time when Defence is belatedly coming under pressure to match budget cuts across other portfolios. The government has promised only that it will construct 12 non-nuclear submarines in Adelaide. It has yet to determine whether they will be larger, homegrown, "son of Collins" submarines or a small, off-the-shelf European design.

Navy argues that the nation's strategic needs can be met only with a homegrown submarine designed for Australian conditions. The government has never published an estimate of what it would cost to

[ClearCase_guy]

[Ronin]

AUSTRALIA can build a new fleet of 12 state-of-the-art submarines in Adelaide for $18 billion, less than half the cost of initial estimates, according to a major report to be released next month.

And flying monkeys may someday fly out of my butt.

Like every optimistic "Let's Do it!" study, the writers know damn well there will be cost overruns and the boats are unlikely to come in for twice that, but if they can con enough people...

Ah me...

[Eye of Unk]

Sounds like a good idea, eventually China will want to expand, and Oz has a lot of open space available in the interior. But then again if China did invade I would think let them in and let them take over a good sized portion of the Outback, let them find a way to make it hospitable, let THEM try it there.

But I really don’t want them along the coast, any part of it, at all. make a deal...

[Haiku Guy]

They should build the submarine equivalent of UAVs. You can field an underwater glider for weeks or even months at a time using battery power. When the enemy is detected, the OTTO fuel engine takes over, and blammo!

[donmeaker]

Australia needs long range, as it has a couple of large oceans nearby. That is different from the off-the-shelf Euro-subs designed for the Med, the Baltic, the Aegean, the Adriatic, the Ionian, or the North Sea.

A major element of cost for conventional subs is the batteries. I don’t need to tell you how much progress has been made in the last two years in battery power and life. Less well known is the progress recently made in sensors.

In contrast, the Indian and Pacific oceans haven’t gotten any bigger.

[donmeaker]

Lets not pretend that getting any useful work in the next 10 years out of Europe is high risk.

Cost numbers with the Euro just now are a species of fiction.

[Ronin]

I read an interesting piece earlier urging the Aussies to buy leased US nuclear submarines. I am not sure if they were talking about new-build vessels or decommissioned US attack boats.

I’m not so sure how practical that would be, though. The Aussies need boats that can operate well in littoral waters. Coastline stuff. Now a specially designed Aussie nuke boat built in the US and leased...

[spokeshave]

A major element of cost for conventional subs is the batteries. I don’t need to tell you how much progress has been made in the last two years in battery power and life.

Yeah...like Fuel Cells....build them to the proven German U212/U214 design....quiet....and long range.....the US Navy even rented one to test their sonars on.