Brian Ross wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 2:00pm:

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 2:51pm:

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 3:48pm:

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 5:00pm:

Jasin wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 7:05pm:



I was making mince meat out of his arguments so he threatened to ban me.  WTF?


When will MRB moderators understand that they are not there to push their own agenda
by censoring opinions they don't like?

Jasin wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 7:20pm:



It's military doctrine -
eliminate your enemy.

It's just a discussion forum.      tsk tsk tsk.

Belgarion wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 8:20pm:



it's not my argument - no one cares what I say.
I quoted Downer:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/30/aukus-submarine-deal-buil...

Talk about shooting the messenger.  tsk tsk 

Look at what he wrote:

Brian Ross wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 9:16pm:

Jasin wrote on Oct 30^th, 2023 at 7:05pm:



Why can't he act like a man?

Another example is Albo wasting $450 million on a Voice referendum.
https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/paul-murray/voice-referendums-estimate-cost-r...

It means that no matter how productive and prosperous we are
our politicians will piss our future away.
We will be like Brazil and Argentina.
We can't win with such clowns in power.

When I reminded Brian and our readers about it - he banned me - go figure?

It is to Brian, Peccary and Monk.

What Nuke subs?
They’re steam boats just like all the other steam ships, their only difference is that their boilers use fuel of a different type.
The Nuclear reactor heats Hi-temp Hot Water [same as is circulated through many hospitals] the sealed HTHW is circulated through a closed system which transfers heat to the ordinary boiler and thus steam to the steam engine which drives the prop/props.
Basically the same as Murry River paddle steam boat.

Jasin wrote on Nov 1^st, 2023 at 6:54pm:



We're paying $368 billion for 8 subs.

368/8 = $46 billion each which is about 9 times the price that we should be paying.

Jasin wrote on Nov 1^st, 2023 at 7:48pm:



8 subs by some time in the 2040s.

Jasin wrote on Nov 1^st, 2023 at 8:21pm:



Yep - that's why I say - it's Pollys pissing our tax money against the wall.

The GG needs to sack them all and appoint an administrator who can manage money.

from  another thread just now:


Bobby. wrote on Nov 5^th, 2023 at 5:16pm:

I'm not sure what is going on here -
I think we are copying the Yanks with export controls on just about anything?



https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-30/warning-aukus-legislation-cedes-australia...



Exclusive by defence correspondent Andrew Greene

Posted 6h ago

One of America's leading figures on weapons export regulations warns Australia could "surrender any sovereignty capability" under draft laws linked to the AUKUS partnership being introduced to parliament this week.
Key points:

    Controversial amendments to Defence Trade Controls will be tabled in parliament on Thursday
    The proposed legislation has alarmed the academic and scientific community
    Defence Minister Richard Marles says the legislation will "unlock" billions in Australian exports

Defence Minister Richard Marles will on Thursday table controversial amendments to Defence Trade Controls tightening restrictions on how military technology is shared with foreigners, while exempting the United States and United Kingdom.

Provisions in the Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023 will
create three new criminal offences punishable
by up to 10 years in jail, while establishing an export licence-free environment that
"will revolutionise trade among and between AUKUS partners".


See here - the dual use items that will be subject to export control:

https://www.defence.gov.au/about/reviews-inquiries/defence-trade-controls-amendm...

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2021L01198/Download

And what does Trump say?    


Brian Ross wrote on Dec 15^th, 2023 at 9:31am:


AUKUS deal approved by US Congress as backers say future presidents can be trusted
By North America bureau chief Jade Macmillan in Washington DC
Posted 7h ago


The US legislation states that 270 days before the transfer happens, the president will need to certify that the transfer is consistent with the country's foreign policy interests, and would not "degrade" its own undersea capabilities.

Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, a co-chair of the AUKUS working group, rejected suggestions that could lead to a future administration backing out of the agreement.

"We've got now statutory blessing to AUKUS, which I think expresses a clear bipartisan intent in both chambers that we support this security agreement in terms of all the technology sharing," he said.

Too many bum bandits in the US military:


https://americanwirenews.com/us-military-in-2024-will-be-smallest-in-over-80-yea...


  News/Commentary





December 17, 2023 |


As many believe, between the Ukraine-Russia war and the war between Israel and Hamas, the United States is teetering on the brink of World War III, the Pentagon is warning Congress that America’s fighting force heading into 2024 is the smallest it has been since before World War II.

Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, revealed that “the All-Volunteer Force faces the greatest challenge since its inception.”

“In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, the Military Services collectively missed our recruiting goals by approximately 41,000 recruits, and that number understates the challenge before us as the Services lowered end-strength goals in recent years in part because of the difficult recruiting environment,” he told lawmakers.

According to the annual defense authorization bill passed this week by Congress, “the total number of active-duty troops in the armed forces will drop to 1,284,500 in fiscal 2024,” the Military Times reports. “That’s down nearly 64,000 personnel in the last three years and the smallest total for America’s military since 1940, before the United States’ entry into World War II.”

The ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), is concerned that the reduced military numbers are putting the country at risk.

“We need a larger force, in every branch,” he told the Military Times. “But the reality of recruiting is driving the numbers, not what we actually need.”

As BizPac Review has reported, some branches of the armed forces are bending over backward to lure in new, young recruits with “inclusive” ploys.

In May, the U.S. Navy enlisted Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley —

And in April, citing an obesity surge among young Americans, the Air Force raised the amount of body fat recruits can carry.

Well Brian?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-15/navy-chief-refers-allegations-inappropria...

15th Feb.  2024.



During Senate estimates, the defence chief also detailed the extent of the military's chronic workforce crisis, revealing it was nearly 7 per cent under strength and was continuing to shrink.

"Inflow rates remain below the level required to maintain our current force," General Campbell warned senators during his opening remarks on Wednesday.

Defence officials revealed the army was currently 2,891 personnel under strength, the navy had a shortfall of 881 members, and the air force was 534 people below target.

The ADF's new chief of personnel, Lieutenant General Natasha Fox, revealed that Australians who have applied to join the military are currently waiting more than 300 days to be enlisted, but Defence wants to reduce the process by around 200 days.

Jasin wrote on Feb 16^th, 2024 at 1:08pm:



It's a tough gig,
there's no 9 to 5 work -
they can force you to work 3 days straight without any sleep
and no such thing as overtime pay.
They have to check how you'd go in a wartime situation -
whether you'd crack up - as most people would go insane.
It's also full of bum bandits wanting to dot your arse - yuck.

Jasin wrote on Feb 16^th, 2024 at 3:22pm:



Brian never did basic training - boot camp.

Booby, WHEN will you actually discuss, you know, the environment? Or are you so stupid and uneducated that you don’t know what the environment is?

These are the idiots running our Defence -
they would rather bulldoze our helicopters into the ground
than give them to Ukraine - go figure?



Why can't we give Ukraine our Taipan helicopter fleet?

Good clip. But they could have saved themselves a lot of time by just saying "We in the ADF are subordinate to you Politicians and thus not operating at 100% of our full capacity and thus must kowtow to legalities in fear of lawsuits and thus do not want to be held 'liable' to Aircraft that have never really reached their full 100% capability and have often justified their lack of effectiveness in proving to the Australian Taxpayers that its been money well spent."

Ukraine won't get the Taipans. They were doomed to crash and be buried right from the first date of purchase.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 1^st, 2024 at 9:17am:


The ADF could not, in all good conscience, hand over equipment that was likely to get Ukrainian personnel killed, and the government would hate the bad publicity.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2024 at 10:35am:


The Bushmaster is a reliable bit of kit. The Taipan has proved to have ongoing reliability issues that have culminated in fatal crashes, leading them to be withdrawn from service.  It would be criminally irresponsible to provide these helicopters to anyone, let alone someone who will use them in combat, when they are as much a danger to their crews and passengers as enemy action. 

Maybe the Taipans are really really shyte
and Australian Government doesn't want the Ukrainians to use them in action because the Australian Taxpayers will see how the Australian Government wasted more millions on CRAP in the first place.

Ah yes. Well then I reckon it is about the first mistake of buying such crap in the first place and wasting everyone else's money.
Look at those Abrams Tanks. Hyped up by American propaganda and the Russians are picking them off easy-peasy in Ukraine.
At least Australia knows its Taipans are crap and don't want to embarrass themselves further by putting them to the test with real action.


Still. It is totally unfair of Australia to not at least give Ukraine a 'fair go' of it. Very un-Australian to be honest.
A real 'lack of faith' in the Ukrainians. 

Bobby. wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2024 at 6:18pm:


It's a retarded situation, so my guess is that the Taipans are a retarded product that Australia is embarrassed that it bought in the first place. Total waste of money! No wonder its heading for the 'dump'.

Of course it is Bobby.
But the ADF and Political 'intelligence' don't see it that way.
They rather bury their mistakes so no-one finds out the truth.

China says: "Australia like chewy-gum under shoe."
Indonesia says: "Australia is 'dog' for America."


Australia is a country of Disneyland Politics and Disneyland Military. It's all for the 'kiddies'.

That's because everyone here chases a weakness (politics/military) and doesn't follow a strength (sorry, can't say what that is - its classified).

Chasing a weakness.
Living the dream of a loser, not a winner.
Victimhood and Dependency on other nations.

Brian Ross wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2024 at 9:57pm:



When are you gunna unban me Brian?  - you dictator.

https://johnmenadue.com/hugh-white-dismantles-the-aukus-project/





Hugh White dismantles the AUKUS project
By Nick Deane
Feb 29, 2024





As opposition to AUKUS grows, the nuclear submarine project does not stand up to expert scrutiny.

There is no doubt that opposition to the AUKUS agreement is growing within the Australian public. The more people see through the secrecy and obfuscation; the more they learn about the project’s far-reaching implications for them and the nation, the more they feel uneasy and even angry about it. As might be expected, initial opposition came from left-leaning groups like the Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition. Recently, more conservative groups have joined the left, to create the Marrickville Declaration.

What is extraordinary and interesting is that very serious questions about AUKUS are also coming from within what might be termed ‘The Establishment’. For example, Sam Roggeveen of the Lowy Institute in his book “The Echidna Strategy” writes

    “It (AUKUS) is a project of vaulting ambition that is out of step with Australian tradition as a middle military power, wildly at odds with our international status and, most importantly, a wasteful expenditure of public money that will make Australia less safe.”

cont -


On the question of speed (nuclear submarines are much faster than conventional ones), White argues that nuclear gives no advantage when compared with a much larger fleet of conventional vessels. According to White, Australia could acquire 40 conventional submarines for the projected price of 8 nuclear ones. In his estimation, a fleet of just 24 conventional submarines would actually deliver more ‘combat power’ than 8 nuclear ones.

At the core of White’s position is his understanding that nuclear submarines would make sense, if their purpose were to team up with the US in confronting China. On the other hand, if they are intended to prevent China projecting power by sea against Australia and its close neighbours, they make no sense at all, according to White.

White’s attention turns to the matter of whether or not the AUKUS plan can work in practise. Will it actually deliver? The plan starts with a radical upgrade and overhaul of the Collins-class boats – a task he describes as daunting. Even if that program goes without a hitch, the RAN is still faced with having to learn how to operate and maintain nuclear submarines and their nuclear reactors in less than ten years (before the US Virginia class submarines arrive in the 2030s). He estimates the chances of the RAN meeting these constraints to be very low.

Having cast doubts on the RAN’s ability to put the AUKUS plan into action, White declares that this is not the biggest threat to it. He sees serious problems in Washington, where there exist doubts about the wisdom of selling nuclear-powered submarines to any other country. Besides, America has no Virginia-class submarines to spare and appears unable to construct new ones fast enough to reach Pentagon targets. White suggests that strategists in the USA are weighing up whether it makes strategic sense for America to pass submarines to Australia rather than keeping them for the US fleet.

White then takes issue with phase 3 of the AUKUS project, under which Australia is involved in designing, building and bringing into service the AUKUS-class submarines in co-operation with the UK’s Royal Navy. He writes

    “Both the British and the Australian ends of this co-operative program will have to deliver if the AUKUS plan is to work. It is more than likely both will fail.”

He says that the UK end of the arrangement has had major problems over decades and that in Australia long delays and cost overruns are certain and “outright failure is a real possibility”.

But even that is not the end of the problems White foresees. If the project does go according to plan, the RAN will end up having to crew and manage three different classes of submarine for an extended period (the Collins-, Virginia- and AUKUS-classes), with corresponding requirements for training, management, maintenance engineering etc. White does not believe it possible that three classes (two of them nuclear-powered) can be managed by the RAN at the same time.

Sam Roggeveen is director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program. Hugh White is Emeritus Professor of Strategic and Defence Studies at the Australian National University and was principal author of Australia’s 2000 Defence White Paper. Both are highly regarded in their field. The significance of their contributions to debate about the AUKUS matter cannot be underestimated. White’s latest contribution, in particular, will dismay AUKUS’s proponents. At the very least, it should provoke much more discussion of the topic in the media and among members of the public. White’s and Roggeveen’s arguments are too compelling to go unanswered. Unless some serious answers come from very senior levels, AUKUS is, indeed, dead in the water.

USA will do to Australia, with the Subs.
What Australia did to the French.

Useless Australia should be creating jobs, careers and industry by making its own Submarines.
...considering one was made to go down to 11kms here, shows that we have the 'technology'.

Australia is just a 'market' for overseas Products, nothing more. Shut up and Shop (as one Melbournian used to spray paint around town).

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/f-35a-becomes-first-certified-5th-gen-fighter...





Tyler Durden's Photo
by Tyler Durden
Saturday, Mar 09, 2024 - 03:20 PM






The nuclear deterrence capabilities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are set to be significantly enhanced as the US Air Force's newest fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35A Lightning II, has been operationally certified to be equipped with B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs for the first time.

"The F-35A is the first 5th generation nuclear capable aircraft ever, and the first new platform (fighter or bomber) to achieve this status since the early 1990s. This F-35 Nuclear Certification effort culminates 10+ years of intense effort across the nuclear enterprise, which consists of 16 different government and industry stakeholders," F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Russ Goemaere told military blog Breaking Defense.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2024 at 3:58pm:

Well BriYawn can't even cope with other people's differing opinions and views to his own. He's a Dictator Moderator and that's why its a ghost-town in that Board. Spatchcock was right - he's a Troll and he proves it more so when he posts on other Topics around the Forum where he Trolls with his BriYawns in hypocrisy to his moderating.

Australia being 'ripped off' by the USA for starters. Sure, they only cost about 4 Billion for the USA to make, but the extra $400 Billion is about them training Australians, making them to Australian standards etc - is like a Mercedez-Benz/BMW where the parts are more expensive than the car itself.

Australia, long-term, would be best just making their own with minimal international support. Probably a lot cheaper - especially 'long term' again.

BriYawn grovels to the Yanks.
He would jump at the chance to serve them invading other nations like Korea (to kick the Yellow people out of Asia with White USSR coming in from the other side), Vietnam (because they think they rule Asia) and Iraq (for Oil!).
He's just a 'merc' and nothing more. America's 'sardaukar'.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 17^th, 2024 at 6:51pm:

No indeed. It's like he's just a grunt who holidays in Thailand for $2 entertainment.

Maybe they should ask the USA for funding?

Afterall - they're fighting for America's 'battles' and 'wars'.

GST - its the 'tribute' tax America gets from other nations. Canada was first to pay its 'protection money', Australia soon followed.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 17^th, 2024 at 8:06pm:


No it wouldn't - because we would be selling to other Nations our 'superior product'.

Americans are only good in the 'Air'.
We are 'down under' better at Submarines.
Our Government just doesn't want to know about it.

Why does it have to be 'nuclear' to be effective?
Look at the mere little drones and the game-changer they have provided.

You know they're making motions to making Australia 'Nuclear' which would mean - making our own Nukes (in case those North Sentinelese attack us! ).

Bobby. wrote on Apr 17^th, 2024 at 8:17pm:

Best point of the week! 

And you wonder where all this 'inflation' is going into.

Force the Chinese and the Yanks to the table and make them discuss it.

The ADF destroyed 37 Taipan helicopters when there was
nothing wrong with the basic design.
They could have been given to Ukraine.
It was most likely a hi-tech helmet that the Taipan pilots were using that night
called the TopOwl which was retro fitted that caused the deaths.

https://9now.nine.com.au/60-minutes/taipan-helicopter-safety-warning-signs-probe...

The TopOwl has been used by militaries around the world for the best part of two decades.

It comprises a helmet-mounted sight display on which is projected critical information about the aircraft, including altitude, height above ground, pitch and roll (attitude), ground speed, vertical speed and whether the aircraft is climbing or descending.

The latest software upgrade for the TopOwl, HMSD V5.10, was found to carry significant risk, according to an experienced test pilot with the Army Aviation Test and Evaluation Section (AATES).

He found that when the aircraft was in a turn, the displayed angle of bank washed out if he looked to the left or to the right; a 30 degree angle of bank would, for example, be represented as 23 to 25 degrees if the pilot turned his head 90 to 120 degrees either side.

In the test pilot's own words, the "ambiguous aircraft attitude" represented an "unacceptable risk to flight safety".

Even more alarmingly, the test pilot found the new software could result in "Controlled Flight Into Terrain", making it a "substantial risk of multiple deaths".

Greens Senator David Shoebridge, who has been probing the safety of the Taipan ever since one ditched in Jervis Bay, four months before the Lindeman Island incident, said the AATES report from June 2019 was deeply concerning.

"This is the kind of report that should ground the fleet. 'Substantial risk of multiple deaths', if that doesn't ground the fleet, what does ground the fleet?" Shoebridge says.

$3.7 billion of our tax money was pissed against the wall.

Has anyone got a comment?

I guess the Chinese didn't build the largest navy in the world
to use only in war games?

https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/peta-credlin/defence-summit-in-canberra-revea...



May 29, 2024 - 8:01PM

The Australian Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says the significant number of Chinese spies in Australia is a “failure of Australian institutions”.

This comes amid the recent defence summit in Canberra, where a former Chinese spy has warned there are more than 1,200 Chinese spies in Australia.

“We’ve published this figure several times before at The Australian,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

“Most of those are … not full-time professionals and their predominant role is to surveil and harass the Chinese diaspora, especially the student community.

Mr Sheridan attributes this as a “failure of Australian institutions and failure of governments of both sides of the aisle, politically.”

Looks like the ADF wants homos to sign up:


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13561293/Australian-Defence-Force-slamm...




'Defence capability is reliant on our ability to attract and
retain the best possible talent regardless of
background, gender, age, culture, religion, ability or sexual orientation,' he said.

'Diversity and inclusion are critical to the successful delivery of Defence's mission.

'It is important that the Defence workforce reflects the communities that we serve.'


The Australian Defence Force has been accused of promoting 'woke garbage' after asking recruits about their pronouns and sexuality on application forms.

The Department of Defence APS careers website asks potential soldiers, sailors and aviators if they use alternate genders or are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

'Which pronouns do you use: he/him, she/her, they/them,' is the first question asked on the form.

Recruits are also queried if they 'identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning (LGBTIQ+)?'

United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet slammed it as 'woke garbage', arguing  the country's enemies would be laughing at us. 

Mick Ryan is a retired major general in the Australian Army.


Mick Ryan - To Avoid Ukrainian Defeat by a Thousand Cuts the NATO Strategy Needs to Radically Change

Jul 11, 2024  At First Hand - Experiences of the War
Barely a week goes by without things occurring that would have been inconceivable three years ago. Russian territory being hit by American made munitions, history’s most substantial sanctions in place against Russia, a near coup against the Kremlin, and Putin going cap-in-hand to Kim-Jong-Un to prop up his ailing military. What more can happen before these tensions and conflicts coalesce into World War 3 – especially the expectations that Korea troops will soon be fighting on the territory of Europe. 

https://www.reuters.com/world/australia-charges-russian-born-married-couple-with...




By Renju Jose
July 12, 20243:05 PM GMT+10Updated an hour ago


SYDNEY, July 12 (Reuters) - Australia said on Friday it had arrested a Russian-born married couple on espionage charges, alleging the woman who was an information systems technician in the Australian Army sought to access defence material and send it to Russian officials.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the couple, who hold Australian citizenship, worked to access material related to Australia's national security though no significant compromise had been identified yet.
"We allege they sought that information with the intention of providing it to Russian authorities," AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said during a media briefing.
"Whether that information was handed over remains a key focus of our investigation."
The AFP said the woman, 40, travelled to Russia and instructed her husband in Australia to log into her official account to access defence materials.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned anyone considering acting against Australia's national security.
"People will be held to account who interfere with our national interests and that's precisely what these arrests represent," Albanese told reporters. He declined to comment directly on the case saying it was before the court.
Igor and Kira Korolev appeared in the magistrate's court in Brisbane, court filings showed, after being charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail. The charges are the first under new laws introduced in 2018.
They did not apply for bail and were remanded in custody until Sept. 20 when they are next due to appear, media reported.
The couple has been living in Australia for more than 10 years, with the woman getting Australian citizenship in 2016 and her husband in 2020.
The arrests come as Australia on Thursday unveiled an A$250 million ($169 million) military aid package for Ukraine at the NATO summit in Washington, the country's single largest aid package since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Australia is one of the largest non-NATO contributors to the West's support for Ukraine and has been supplying defence equipment to Kyiv, banned exports of aluminium ores to Russia and sanctioned more than 1,000 Russian individuals and entities.