Image source: topwar.ru
Two authors, Steve Magnusson and Sean Carberry in a series of articles describe the situation that developed a year and a half after Australia's rejection of French submarines.
If we discard the "verbal husk", then the situation is bleak for the "axis". The shipyards of the USA and Great Britain, working at the maximum of their capabilities, do not maintain schedules even for their own fleets. Where to "squeeze" eight more Australian submarines is not clear even theoretically. The problems deepened.
Rear Admiral Scott Pappano, head of the Columbia SSB program, bluntly says that the construction schedule for the US Navy is not maintained - two Virginias and one Columbia annually. The construction of additional submarines will require large additional amounts of financing for shipyards, for the expansion of production capacities and the training of an additional 10 thousand shipbuilders. Firms do not want to bear such costs at their own expense, and the participation of the state in these costs is very doubtful. In addition to the problems with the lack of shipbuilding capacity, there are also legislative obstacles in the United States and Britain in terms of the transfer of technologies and materials, which are strictly regulated by US law. In order to transfer such technologies, it is necessary to amend the current legislation.
Things are even more complicated with the UK. The construction of boats stretches for ten years. Another, fifth? "Astute" (Astute) was supposed to enter service in 2020, but only in February 2023 left the Clyde for Faslane. Now the construction of a series of PLARB is beginning
type "Dreadnought", and spare capacity is not expected in the next 10-12 years.
Another problem is the lack of a naval base in Australia, which has the ability to provide basing, maintenance and minimal repair of submarines.
As a summary part, we can say that the only country that can now supply Australia with small, not too complex and, accordingly, inexpensive submarines in a reasonable time is France. But the contracts with France were terminated.
