A $200 billion deal to acquire nuclear submarines could cost the average Australian taxpayer approximately $13,000. While this may seem like an exorbitant amount for just a handful of boats, experts argue that the deal could be worth every cent. The submarine partnership will establish an unprecedented level of trust and collaboration between Australia and its most powerful allies at a time of rising global tensions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the details of the submarine plan on Tuesday, warning taxpayers of the enormous cost of the 30-year deal and vowing to be transparent about the fiscal pitfalls. Over the lifetime of the deal, which is expected to cost upwards of $200 billion, every Australian taxpayer would spend an estimated $13,370 of their tax dollars on the fleet, based on the 14.9 million taxpayers in the 2019-2020 financial year.
The plan depends on the purchase of up to five US-built Virginia class submarines by the 2030s, with Britain working with Canberra on a new fleet by about 2040, equipped with American combat systems and weapons. All three countries will use the same missile and defence systems.
These nuclear submarines can stay underwater for longer periods and travel farther without surfacing, making them essential to Australia’s defence strategy moving forward. They can stay submerged for up to three months, carry 37 torpedo-sized weapons, and travel at speeds of 46km/h, unlike the current diesel-electric subs that can stay submerged for no more than 70 days.
Expert sources say that the submarines will also strengthen ties between the three nations involved. The agreement will create 20,000 Australian jobs, including 8,500 for building and maintaining the subs.
However, since Australia currently runs only one university program dedicated to nuclear engineering and produces about five graduates a year, there would need to be a greater commitment to training and education in the field.
The deal is being hailed across all three nations as “the most significant multilateral defence capability endeavour the world has seen in generations.” The opposition is promising bipartisanship to get this deal done in the most timely and cost-effective manner.
The Coalition’s defence spokesman, Andrew Hastie, said the coming months and years could result in “a level of bipartisanship that we probably haven’t seen for a generation.”
The cost of defending the nation is the main job of these submarines. Speaking on Sunrise, Labor’s Minister for Environment Tanya Plibersek and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce agreed that the submarines would be very important in Australia’s ability to defend itself in the future. Democrat congressman Joe Courtney vowed that Australia would receive “the highest quality” nuclear submarines on offer.
In summary, while the $13,000 cost per taxpayer may seem high for the nuclear submarine deal, experts say that the subs partnership will establish an unprecedented level of trust and collaboration between Australia and its most powerful allies, strengthening ties between the three nations involved.
The submarines themselves are critical to Australia’s defence strategy moving forward and will create 20,000 Australian jobs. The deal is expected to receive bipartisan support, and the submarines will be of the highest quality available.
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