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Post by ngatimozart on Feb 23, 2012 12:40:53 GMT 12
The US ambasador in Canberra has announced that the US is willing to sell or lease Virgina class SSNs to the RAN for its Son of Collins project. I think this is the first time the US has done this. afr.com/p/national/us_floats_nuclear_subs_option_uPMgRrev3KjNwBLfFxpdeO This will upset the Chinese but with the US now focussing on the Pacific it would greatly increase the the RAN capabilities. The current Aussie Defence minister is against nuclear subs but the opposition is for it especially when one Virginia class SSN is around AU$2.5 billion and the Son of Collins projected at AU$3 billion each. For the RNZN and RNZAF it would also be good because we would be able to have regular exercises against SSNs and hone our abilities. Both the Chinese and Indians have SSNs. Diesel electric subs are reputed to be quieter than nukes, but we can still exercise against those if we were to have exercises with the Japanese Navy or the Indians who also operate them.
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Post by Calum on Feb 23, 2012 22:52:39 GMT 12
it'll lease or sell a Nuke boat but not F-22's.....
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Post by meo4 on Feb 24, 2012 16:31:31 GMT 12
Sounds like good deal with proven technology longer endurance don't know if OZ Labor goverment will take it up though. Would there be some allowance to visit NZ ports ie relaxing stupid nuke free policy for nuke propulsion only ships. Remember the Russian offering NZ Nuke subs in exchange for NZ butter.
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Post by richard1098 on Feb 24, 2012 19:07:55 GMT 12
I'd be surprise if it happened. It would mean that the RAN would be locked into an overseas supplier for all maintenance and upgrade work, in addition to the build being undertaken off-shore. If that money is spend in Aus, a lot of it comes directly back to the government by way of taxes paid by local suppliers and their workforce; spend it off shore and none of it does. Looking at the bigger picture the net cost of a locally built Collins replacement is a lot less than the direct expenditure by the DoD. And I don't think the RAN would want to transit a boat across the pacific (US East coast?) each time something needs to be fixed.
Having said that, even a locally built boat will still use a high level of US technology, given the assistance provided by the USN in fixing Collins' early issues (issues that Kockums seemed unable or unwilling to address) and more recent integration of the USN CCS Mk2 combat system.
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Post by ngatimozart on Feb 25, 2012 21:05:48 GMT 12
Interestingly enough on another place where I lurk one of those who is quite knowledgeable about things RAN said bullshit and that it was an Ambassador mouthing off as ambassadors apparently do. He cited a few difficulties the RAN would have with a nuke option politically. He also said that they would not meet all of the RAN requirements in that they are less quiet than diesel electrics and being somewhat larger would have problems in the littoral zone. He went on to say they are real good for ASW escort for a task force but that is not a mission that RAN subs do, nor is one that the RAN intends to use subs for.
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Post by Andy Wright on Feb 25, 2012 23:37:45 GMT 12
SSNs would be the perfect option for the RAN given the range issues but I don't think it'll happen. The preference would be for the boats to be maintained here which would mean a decent gearing up and certainly an attractive 'system' for engineers etc who get enticed out of the navy by private enterprise.
The Virginias are designed to take the fight to the littoral environment I believe as well as being a blue water escort so certainly an asset for the RAN particularly with the first LHD hull arriving in 2014, IIRC. I still think long-range diesel boats will be built locally though.
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