AUKUS. From ‘best’ we’ll never get to second hand subs

Minister of Defense Marles announced a change in the AUKUS submarine program: second-hand submarines! What is fraud?

The cost of fraud is (at least) $.While the 368B awaits the nuclear submarines promised in the never-never, we now only receive second-hand submarines from the USA.

In May 2023, Admiral Mead, head of the Australian Submarine Agency, told the Senate that the first two Virginia-class submarines to be transferred to Australia would be second-hand, while the remainder would be brand new. A year later he did it again.

Here is Admiral Mead in June 2024; A man without the slightest knowledge of project risk is running a $368 billion program with nothing but hope. #AUKUS #auspol https://t.co/CcuL2VfTIV pic.twitter.com/Txem0DyKmG

— Rex Patrick (@MrRexPatrick) May 31, 2026

But the truth is and always has been different. The US is only building around 1.2 submarines per year and needs to reach a build rate of 2.0 to meet the US’s needs and a build rate of 2.3 to meet theirs and ours. There’s no way they can get there.

We have sent $2.8 billion of non-refundable taxpayer dollars to the United States over the last two years to try to change the construction rate dial, and it has done nothing but drain our Treasury.

Anyone who has bothered to read the US Congressional Research Service’s advice to Congress on AUKUS knows that we cannot get subscribers from the US. Anyone who has bothered to read the recent UK Parliament report on AUKUS knows that we cannot get subscribers from the UK.

The Albanian Government has launched an all-in-one egg-in-a-basket program:

US chickens don’t lay enough eggs and UK chickens are headless.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Richard Mares maintains the front line. He is either dishonest or stupid. Time will tell which one.

Substandard. Comptroller General’s decision regarding the extension of the Collins Class