Subs could be switched to nuclear, says navy chief Michael Noonan

Chief of Navy Michael Noonan has left open the prospect of some of Australia’s 12 Future Submarines being nuclear powered.

John C. Aquilino, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, left, with Chief of Navy Michael Noonan in Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Royal Australian Navy

Chief of Navy Michael Noonan has left open the prospect of some of Australia’s 12 Future Submarines being nuclear powered, amid ongoing questions over the government’s decision to purchase the world’s biggest and most ­expensive conventionally powered subs.

The Australian understands the winning bidder of the $50bn submarine contract, Naval Group, has told the government it could deliver some of the submarines as nuclear powered. But it warns the switch to nuclear would increase design and sustainment costs for Australia’s Attack-class boats.

Vice-Admiral Noonan said at the Pacific 2019 maritime expo in Sydney that “at this point in time, I believe that they will be conventional submarines”.

“But as I’ve said in past ­announcements, the ability we have with continuous shipbuilding is to innovate as we go,” he said. “And I am absolutely of the mind that the 12th submarine will be different from the first.

“A change in the propulsion system for the Attack-class submarines; it’s something that will no doubt be discussed over the next 30 years, bearing in mind that by the time we deliver No 12 it will be 2055.”

Nuclear-powered submarines are faster, have a longer range and can spend longer underwater than conventionally powered boats.

ASPI defence analyst Marcus Hellyer said the arguments put forward by the government for its purchase of the Naval Group vessel, ahead of rival German and Japanese designs, “have been very abstract and high level”. “(It’s been said) ‘we need a regionally superior submarine’, or that ‘it is a strategic deterrent’.

“It would be better if we had a discussion about what exactly we need these submarines for and why we needed unique capabilities that no other submarines could provide. Then we would better understand why the investment in cost and time is needed.”

The Attack-class boats will be a diesel-electric variant of the ­nuclear-powered Barracuda submarine currently under construction for the French Navy.

They will be equipped with “pump-jet propulsion”, which has been designed for faster nuclear subs and is said to be more ­efficient at higher speeds, in ­addition to the propeller drives.

However, Naval Group has warned a switch to an Australian nuclear-powered submarine “would be a new design, not an ­upgrade”.

The costs of going nuclear, if a future government was prepared to take the politically risky decision, would also be higher due to the lack of a domestic nuclear ­industry, meaning Australia would have to create one or pay for the skills of overseas partners such as France or the US.

The Pacific 2019 international maritime expo is being held against the backdrop of increasing tensions between South Australia and Western Australia, which are competing to host a major upgrade of the navy’s six Collins-class submarines.

At least five of the Collins boats will be completely overhauled due to the long timelines in the delivery of the Attack-class subs.

The work was expected to be done in WA, but SA is pushing hard — with the backing of Centre Alliance senators — to have it undertaken at Adelaide’s Osborne shipyards, where the Attack-class boat and new Hunter-class frigates will be built. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the government was yet to make a decision on where the work would take place. “Any decision will be taken in the national interest. It will be what navy requires to meet its capability requirements,” she said.