Australia’s future submarines - An explainer - Submarines, submarine propulsion, defence policy,

So, too, would the contract with the French government: the announcement last year of the AUKUS agreement, and the resultant cancellation of 1 Combet (2009) “From Collins to Force 2030: the challenge of the future submarine”, speech to the Sydney Institute, etSpeechtpl.cfm?CurrentId=9670 2 Department of De. [...] Strategic policy considerations Australia’s security is a function of its geography, the strength of its economy, the wisdom of its leaders, the quality of its foreign policy, the capacity of its defence force and security agencies, and the determination and resilience of its people. [...] The political and social impacts of the Vietnam War—along with the spiralling cost of weapon systems and the increasing complexity and sophistication of both weapons and platforms—led the Whitlam, Fraser and Hawke governments to embark on a lengthy review of the foundations of Australia’s defence policy. [...] Australia has one of the largest maritime domains in the world and we need the capacity to defend and further our interests from the Pacific to the Indian Oceans and from the areas to our north to the Southern Ocean. [...] The negotiations that preceded the announcement were conducted secretly, and little is known about the exact purpose of the announcement, except to serve as the basis for cancelling the submarine purchase contract with France and initiate discussions on the acquisition of a nuclear- powered submarine from either the US or the UK.