St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 3:20pm:


What you meant to say was: "A govt with rocks in its head (i.e. not an Abbott led one) would start negotiating to buy the Russian planes. Bet the yanks would be willing to sell us the raptors then. NOT!"

BigOl64 wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 6:23pm:


Australia, a sovereign country?  You must be living in gaga-land. 

Wasn't it howard who left a whole in our defences when he allowed the Perth class destroyers to be decommissioned without replacements?

King FriYAY II wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 3:29pm:


You cannot operate Diesel engines when submerged. The diesels are turned on when surfaced or when "snorkelling", with a mast sticking up out of the ocean above the submerged sub to let out exhaust gases. Otherwise, the diesels are used to charge a bunch of big batteries that are used to power the sub when submerged. This is the advantage of nuclear subs over diesels - nuclear subs don't need to recharge the batteries but diesels do. However, diesels are much quieter when submerged because they don't have high pressure pipes full of water cooling the reactor & that's what makes a nuclear sub a bit noisier than a diesel sub. Our diesels will detect a nuclear sub before the nuclear sub can detect us nine times out of ten because of this. I hope this makes sense.

gone wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 9:13pm:




Please do not reply, it makes everyone a little more stupid for having read your comment. Now off to the kiddies table with you, the adults want to talk

End uncertainty over subs, says business, unions

Date
    September 9, 2014


  

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated the government may break a pre-election promise to build 12 submarines in Adelaide instead sending the work to Japan.


Business is calling on the federal government to end the uncertainty over where Australia's next fleet of submarines will be built and declare a decision "as soon as possible".

It comes as the government sends out more signals that it is prepared to break its election promise to build 12 new submarines in Adelaide and potentially buy new vessels from Japan.      

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said local supply chain companies had made investment decisions on expectations the submarines would be built in Adelaide and needed clarity.

"Companies have acted in good faith here and there's been a long held belief and signals from governments of both sides that submarines would be built in Australia," he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

"Industry would be looking for guidance as soon as possible."

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union national president Paul Bastian said on Tuesday that building the submarines in Japan would cause a ripple effect for industry.

"I think there will be thousands of jobs in the ship building sector that will be put at risk," he told ABC Radio.      

On Monday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott have his clearest indication yet that the submarines would not be built in Adelaide, telling reporters in Canberra that value for taxpayers must outweigh job creation, angering the South Australian government.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said on Tuesday that while no decision had yet been made he confirmed the government would prioritise "value for money".

He said a decision would be made on the advice of the Defence Department and when Defence Minister David Johnston brought the issue to the National Security Committee.

"We haven't made a decision yet on where the submarines will be built," he todl ABC radio and said he would not engage in speculation when asked if the new conditions were paving the way for another broken promise from the government.

"We're going to look at the options, you're assuming South Australia won't get the contract, I'm not assuming that," he said.

But Labor leader Bill Shorten said: "Tony Abbott and David Johnston have looked South Australians in the eye and lied to their faces."      

Mr Shorten will visit ASC (formerly known as the Australian Submarine Corporation) in Adelaide on Tuesday.

He has warned that buying submarines from overseas will "devastate South Australia and could irresponsibly put our national security at risk as a maritime nation".

South Australian Premier Jay Wetherill said any decision outsource the building of the submarines would hit Victoria and Western Australia.

Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon on Tuesday slammed the possible move as sending taxpayer funds to create jobs overseas.      

"This would have a national impact on our skills and our ability to manufacture," he told ABC local radio in Melbourne.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/end-uncertainty-over-subs-says-business-unions-20140909-10e6xb.html#ixzz3Cliv66D3

Armchair_Politician wrote on Sep 9^th, 2014 at 6:37am:


Cool, cheers..