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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Tory Shepherd

New Collins-based submarine ‘best fit’ while waiting for Aukus, defence experts say

Collins class submarines in Perth in 2021
Collins class submarines in Perth in 2021. Four ex-navy personnel have written to Defence to argue for a new sub based on Collins as a stop-gap before Aukus. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/EPA

Australia only has one option left, a group of former senior navy personnel say, and that’s to build conventional submarines while waiting for the nuclear-powered program to begin.

Unions, industry and strategists are concerned about the capability gap as the existing Collins class fleet starts to retire before the new submarines arrive. The defence minister, Richard Marles, says that dealing with that gap is his top priority, and that he has an open mind on how to do it.

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