Pressure On To Increase Submarine Fleet
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday April 4, 1996
The Howard Government will come under strong pressure to spend $900 million on two extra submarines to preserve Australia's submarine building capability and boost the Navy's firepower into the next century.
The Adelaide-based Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) and the Navy's pro-submarine faction push for more submarines, despite looming cuts to government outlays.
They will argue that there would be no need for extra spending until after the next two cost-cutting Federal Budgets, with spending peaking at about $150 million in 2003.
The Royal Australian Navy is now spending about $5.3 billion on six Collins-class submarines that most experts agree are the best conventional subs in the world.
ASC's managing director, Mr Hans Ohff, said yesterday he believed submarines were the most economical forward defence weapons and now that the shipyard and support facilities had been established they were much cheaper than major surface warships.
A spokesman for the Minister for Defence, Mr Ian McLachlan, said yesterday that the Government would consider the need for extra submarines when it evaluated the defence force's equipment needs.
The Opposition Leader, Mr Kim Beazley, will support a government decision to order the extra submarines.
Submarine experts believe the extra two Collins-class boats will effectively double military effectiveness of the fleet because it will allow the Navy to keep four boats on station at any one time.
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald