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There are many excellent reasons for Australia to have nuclear submarines (see here and here), and that process has begun.
Hoorah!
The process of getting the RAN such submarines should be accelerated, however.
Instead of looking to the 2040-ish time frame, the immediate effort should be to get RAN submarine personnel into USN nuclear power training schools and have them serve aboard US attack submarines to complete new qualifications, with the goal of having them ready to accept a trio of US Los Angeles class attack submarines within the next 3-5 years.
It doesn’t even have to be a complete transfer of the submarines, but could be something along the lines of a “lend-lease” similar to the destroyer transfer to the UK in 1941 as being “ in the interest of national defense” (see here).
While it seems that giving up three submarines within that time frame might be detrimental to US needs, the reality is that the transferred boats will still be in use by one of our strongest allies for missions that serve both Australian and US interests.
If needed, US submariners even could be used to supplement Aussie crews in their boats as “trainers in place” – a simple continuation of the way we qualify our sub crews.
Why speed up the process? The simple answer is that if the idea is a good one, we should move on it as soon as possible. The time period suggested ought to allow for the necessary Australian infrastructure to be built.
Most importantly, it will clearly and timely show that the US is strongly committed to its Indo-Pacific allies, especially the Australians and the UK, the other members of AUKUS.
