The second area of concern is the boat’s propulsion system and exactly how it can provide an operating life of almost double that of the Collins Class boats.
The most crucial element of its military “crown jewels” that Japan is unwilling to share with anyone is how the Soryu boats can cruise submerged at 20 knots with virtually no noise signature.
Stealth is a submarine’s greatest weapon and the Soryu is thought to be the most stealthy diesel powered submarine ever built.
“Without that information we cannot go with the Japanese option,” a defence source told News Corp.
The third area of concern is the integration of a US combat system and weapons into the Japanese hull.
The final hurdle is the perceived lack of security at the ASC shipyard in Adelaide and Australia in general.
“The Japanese are far better at security than we are,” a senior source said.
It is understood that Japanese officials pointed to an Australian TV documentary on the Collins boats that clearly revealed the subs’ noise signature.
Also of interest, the 2015 Defence White Paper (spoiler alert, the last few Defence White Papers have been an unworkable joke) may point to 8 subs as the magic number and not 12, with a budget below $20B. Good luck with that as long as the current DMO and friends have their grubby hands on the project.
Now this for Valentines day.
This region-wide investment in maritime power shaped Kevin Rudd’s commitment, in the 2009 Defence white paper, to double Australia’s submarine fleet from six to 12 boats.
Rudd couldn’t be faulted for lack of ambition: the Sea 1000 project, as it is called in Defence, originally was intended to deliver the largest, most formidably armed non-nuclear powered boats built.
At about 4500 tonnes, the Sea 1000 submarines anticipated in 2009 would fire torpedoes and cruise missiles, deploy special force troops, carry an array of intelligence gathering sensors and be operative undetected thousands of kilometres away from their base.
In technical complexity, the project would make NASA’s space shuttle look like a piece of 1960s farm equipment. Costing more in real terms than the Snowy Mountain Hydro-Electric Scheme, Defence officials suggested that only a monumental nation-building effort lasting 40 or more years could deliver Sea 1000.
So much for the theory. The reality was that Defence, industry and government simply could not quickly give effect to Rudd’s imaginings. A debate remains about whether a non-nuclear powered boat can ever deliver all of Sea 1000’s promise. Polite American admirals and Defence officials delicately asked if it was wise for Australia was to attempt the task.
Emphasis added. That IS the big part. The SEA 1000 requirement is faulty. Operationaly it can only be met by buying a U.S. Virginia-class nuke boat.(PDF) Australia is nuke-power-phobic so that idea is out. The SEA 1000 requirement is... stupid.
The real solution for a sane requirement? Scrap SEA 1000 and start over with a clean sheet of paper. If subs are to be built at home, make up a requirement that can allow for that. A feature-rich, fantasy requirement (SEA 1000) is useless.
This from yesterday. More of why the Japanese option, is not an option. And here is more of the Entrenched Defence Bureaucracy habits although with someone higher up helping... the Germans and French are being...ignored.
Rivals are being deliberately ignored, even though they are making every effort to provide information. A German team that visited last week didn't get to meet key people. The French have opened an office here but it seems no one is interested in what they have to offer. And the Swedish/Australian bid?That, is damning for the leadership. It is also a direct insult to us, the Australian tax payer. This leadership and this Entrenched Defence Bureaucracy are cheating us.
The Collins class had to be designed from the ground up. Work started on the boats in less than two years and now it's an excellent submarine, which incorporates a lot of valuable lessons. Yet the government appears determined to destroy South Australia's last vestige of manufacturing industry by buying a Japanese boat, made in Japan.
Vital decisions about new submarines have been waiting for years. Unfortunately, our paralysed political process has been unable to put Australian interests first. This is increasing the pressure to buy from overseas. The problem is that Japan has never exported a weapons system like this before and diving in at the deep end might not be the best way to start.
Very damning. As a side note, I doubt the "excellent submarine" comment. Some good words in there. I would counter that Australian interests are being put first. Technically speaking. Just that it is a few Australians trying to feather their career. Self-before-service.
The Coalition "stop the boats" campaign has taken on new meaning.
Also from yesterday, read all of this to capture the political climate in Australia.
Senator Xenophon said DMO could not be trusted and had trashed Australia’s “industry capacity”.
“I have been reliably informed, by a source who is in a position to know, that DMO officials questioned the capacity of building submarines in Australia, during high-level talks with overseas submarine makers,” he said.
“If that is the case, that is an outrage”.
Until next time...
---
-New Defence White Paper fails to address Australia's core security needs
-2009 Defence White Paper Fantasy
-Analysing "The ADF Air Combat Capability- On the Record"
-Find out who is responsible for the Air Warfare Destroyer mess
-Analysis of Defence Materiel Organisation Major Projects Management and What Needs to be Fixed
-New DMO Boss warns the staff that business as usual is over
-How dangerous is the Defence Material Organisation to our Defence Industry?
-Australia's Failing Defence Structure and Management Methodology
-More on the dud-jamming gear Defence wants to buy
-ADF cost per flying hour
-I will wipe out bullying vows new Defence chief (Houston 2005)
-Vacancy
-Put Vol 2 Report of DLA Piper Review into the light of day
-Rory and Jim
-Parasitism as an Abstraction for Organizational Dysfunctions
-Hobart-class "Air Warfare Destroyer" to be fielded with obsolete radar guidance technology
-The Decay Of Critical Military Thinking And Writing-With Particular Reference To The RAAF
-Newspaper guy gets it right about sub project.... big time
-The great M-1 tank myth
-*UPDATE* Fear and loathing in Canberra - Audit released on MRH-90 helicopter project
-RAN bullies contractor over Collins sub replacement
-2014-15 ADF budget shocker - Star-ranks
-Air Warfare Destroyer -- Billions, not millions over budget
-Australia's M-1 tanks are... a downgrade compared to what it had
-Weak links put on rubber-stamp Defence panel
-Stop the nonsense (Collins-class submarine replacement)
-Insert Joke Here
-Tyranny of distance--Long, drawn out helicopter projects are unsustainable
-2014-15 ADF budget shocker - cost per flying hour over the last budget year
-Tiger savaged by Navy League of Australia
-Tiger helicopter update
-Overview of corruption in Australia
-Government ignores its own 'rescue' report created to fix Air Warfare Destroyer woes
-DM Johnston fired in cabinet reshuffle
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