New Submarines

[cheap]

Plans are be drawn up for a new batch of submarines to replace the ageing and problematic Collins class submarines.

Front runner to the replacement seems to be 10 new high tech Japanese Soryu class submarines. These seem to be the best non nuclear submarines in the world. Good so far, but then along comes the highly emotive rhetoric:

1) we will sink any sub not built locally
2) remember WW2
3) threat to Australia's security

Now some people have short memories, because

A) building submarine locally wasn't exactly a good endeavour, i.e. Collins class
a) massive budget blowouts
b) subs which were and still are problematic to maintain and keep at sea
c) subs which are not actually much good due to their ability to generate a lot of noise whilst underwater
d) as for sinking any sub not built locally, I think the Collins class is a self fulfilling prophecy in the respect

B) WW2
a) you know the argument is on thin ice when the old WW2 chestnut gets mentioned
b) we seem to have no problem using other Japanese products, TV's, watches and Cars

C) threat to national security
a) admittedly this one has me a little confused, I would have thought having 10 working Soryu submarines would be better for national security that 5 so-so Collins class submarines
b) we have twice as many subs in half the time to build locally

Here I was thinking the objective is to have a reasonable defence capability.

We buy warplanes from the USA, ships from Spain, tanks from the USA and we don't get anywhere near the rhetoric, so what's the problem buying Japanese submarines?

Personally instead of buying submarines I would ask the USA if they'd be prepared to lease 10 nuclear powered submarines to the RAN for 20 years.

So what's the big deal?