Minister Dutton is beating the drums of war so what happens if a large adversary decides the proposed AUKUS nuclear submarines (SSN) pose a threat with their indefinite range and power?
The answer is that our new submarines, costing $20 billion each, could be vulnerable to a wide range of submarine and land-launched precision missiles after the reactors are installed and prior to launch.
So, questions for government:
- What is the likely impact of a missile strike on a nuclear submarine in the shipyard?
- What modelling does the government have regarding the spread of radioactive material from the reactor if it was hit by a precision missile?
- How many years would Adelaide need to be evacuated for after a disaster?
Our Plan: 20 advanced conventional submarines
It is possible to avoid this problem by building advanced conventional submarines. This would save about $80 billion, ten years, and possibly Adelaide.
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