Future of sub force vital to trade security

According to the Submarine Institute of Australia (SIA) the security of Australia’s maritime trade, including billions of dollars of Liquefied Natural Gas exports, depends on a viable and effective long range submarine force.

SIA executive director Steve Davies said with Australia expected to become the world’s leading producer of LNG by 2020, with an estimated 60 million tonnes exported per annum, the safety and security of our maritime trade routes is fundamental.

“A potent and stealthy submarine force provides the level of deterrence we will increasingly need to maintain safe and secure trade routes.

Submarines have the ability to operate independently in sea areas where other defence platforms are ineffective, giving them a unique surveillance and strike capability in areas that an adversary considers to be his own,” Davies said.

LNG trade, now worth $13.7 billion, is expected to climb to more than $60 billion by 2020, making it the nation’s second most valuable export commodity behind iron ore.

By 2020 as many as 10 LNG vessels will leave northern Australian gas facilities for East Asia each week.

“A minimum of 12 submarines is needed to keep two submarines continuously on station at long range and one at shorter range, with half of the force deployed at any one time to sustain such a rotation. This is considered to be the minimum force size needed to provide a credible strategic deterrence.

Sovereign control of our submarine force is also vitally important – we can’t afford our primary deterrent capability to be held hostage to someone else’s commercial or government interests,” Davies said.

Davies added that for this reason submarines must be built, upgraded and maintained in Australia.