Defence and government figures express brimming confidence in the progress of Australia’s nuclear submarine program, but there’s no Plan B and – to some – an air of desperation.
Last week Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, the head of the Australian Submarine Agency, told a Defence Industry event in Canberra that Australia remained “on track” to deliver on the AUKUS “optimal pathway” the Albanese government announced in May 2023.
Mead’s comments typify the brimming confidence in government circles regarding the future of AUKUS, despite a litany of challenges to its realisation. This week The Australian Financial Review published an investigation into the hurdles and risks the AUKUS submarine plan faces.
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James Curran is professor of modern history at Sydney University.
