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Australia faces 'devilishly tricky' task to get nuclear submarines
But experts say it will mean a decades-long and "devilishly tricky" quest. Here are some key challenges Canberra faces as it tries to transform its military and get the boats in the water:
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The Royal Australian Navy's newest Collins class submarine, HMAS Waller, leaves Sydney Harbour May 4. The submarine will participate in a series of exercises near Hawai, its first since it was commissioned in July last year, that will involve more than 50 ships, 200 aircraft and 22,000 personnel from seven countries including the United States. The Federal government on Tuesday appointed advisors to consider options for the future ownership of the Australian Submarine Corp (ASC) which is building the country's troubled A$5 billion (US$2.8 billion) Collins class submarines. DG/CC/File Photo (Reuters/Reuters Photographer)
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ustralia's plan to develop a fleet of stealthy nuclear-powered submarines may be what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the biggest single military investment in the country's history.
But experts say it will mean a decades-long and "devilishly tricky" quest. Here are some key challenges Canberra faces as it tries to transform its military and get the boats in the water:
Politics
For more than a decade, Australia has seen a new fleet of submarines as key to solving the riddle of safeguarding 34,000 kilometres (21,000 miles) of coastline and deterring would-be foes.
But after consecutive governments spent billions of dollars eyeing Japanese, German, French and other vessels to replace its ageing Collins-class fleet, Canberra started 2023 with nothing.
Whether this Australia-UK-US project brings concrete results will depend in part on political will, said David Andrews, a military strategy analyst at the Australian National University.
"It's three governments -- and many terms of government into the future before some of these things are actually delivered," he told AFP. "That's not unreasonable -- but we need to go into this with our eyes open."
