AUKUS partnership more a 'symbolic deal' than a 'capability deal'

The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says he thinks the AUKUS partnership announced on Thursday is more of a “symbolic deal” than a “capability deal”.

“The symbolism though, is very, very powerful,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

“The fact that the US President and British Prime Minister stood shoulder to shoulder with the Australian Prime Minister in this time of maximum pressure from China ... is a deep commitment to us, a deep commitment to our region.

“Now on the submarines...we are a terrific nation for submarine announcements, we’re very bad at actually delivering submarines.

“So, I’m all pro-nuclear subs, that’s great, but in fact, I will be in my mid-80s and we’ll all either be subject to Beijing or Beijing will be tremendously reformed by the time the first of these subs come into service.”

[jonnfaustino]

It's estimated that Aus will commission the first of these subs in 20 years. China built 12 nuclear subs and 60 conventional in the last 15 years. How many do you think that they will build in the next 20 years? Great use of taxpayer dollars. American Industrial Complex appreciates it!

[sudhendugupte]

Aus-UK-US deal is just a symbolic deal thanks, however good for Australia thanks.

[item]

"Well done Comrade Sheridan. The Yuan has been deposited to your account."

[lewtscott]

Need to rename it CAUKUS by adding Canada after Castro's son gets removed from office.

[TheCraftywun]

if you put the letters of the alliance in order of country of importance it would be USUKA... hmmm

[SeitenTaisei]

France's Ambassador forgot to mention : submarines deal for diesel (not nuclear) propulsion, explosion of costs(expensive), 8 months late deliveries...
On the opposite the US offered cooperation in cyberdefense and technology transfer (for nuclear propulsion that french kept for themselves).
France didn't have a better offer than that of other countries like US and Russia, or even China...

[barrywalsh]

I agree with Greg Sheridan. We really need to seriously invest in national defense. If only successive governments, at state and federal level, had managed our resources as intelligently as successive Norwegian governments; we would have trillions in Sovereign Wealth Funds.


​Lang Hancock flew over the Pilbara in 1952, identified iron ore sites and took possession, making him and his descendants some of the richest people on the planet. When Phillips Petroleum found oil and gas in the North Sea in the late sixties, they had to acquire licensing rights from the Norwegian government to extract it, making the country the richest in the world.

In Norway this principle was a legacy of hydroelectric power plants built in the late 19th century, which established once and for all that the land (and by extension the continental shelf) belongs to the nation, and the government grants licence for its use for the benefit of the people.

[TheFreshman]

We are building Astutes now. I would be happy to handover one to Aus for a fair price when it comes off the slip way in the next two years.

[shadesofgraygraytheorigina]

And that’s why Australian citizens stand shoulder to shoulder for our human rights and freedoms🇦🇺

[jasonseng]

Ok. So what do we reckon we'll get everybody?

UK - Astute Class

or

US - Virginia Class

????

[animalspirit]

Sour Negitive Pro China Defeatism from Paul Keating. Great Quote!

[chuckbud]

Bet you five bucks Joe Biden doesn't even remember.

[michaelhoward]

Armageddon is nuclear war. So there be plenty of movement with enrichment supplies in the end times.

[santoriniblue]

Mr Sheridan at 9:34 onwards: "... building lots and lots of missiles, getting lots and lots of cyber capacity, smart sea mines ... I wish were building more destroyers ..." He gives no clue on how all this is going to be financed, if the new sub program alone is evaluated to be surely more expensive than the french program, for the simple reason of more complexity?

[marknovak]

One day they'll put a man back in charge of defence procurement and these monumental clusterfucks won't happen.

[aerotuc]

when you get hard tangable things on the ground, it becomes a SOLID DEAL and not symbolic .

[jasonseng]

He's wrong on Paul Keating. Keating is ahead of the curve..

[MrSmith-veyo]

I don't think this nuclear sub deal is about subs at all given they won't be available for a conflict anytime soon. I think it's about:
1) Confirming the Australian govt.'s partnership with the governments of the U.K. and the U.S. (take that for whatever it's worth)
2) Trying to peel back the anti-nuclear political culture in Australia (for whatever reason, I don't know)

[mvnorsel]

I hope Alan Jones gets to see the nuclear submarines in Sydney.

[middleagedwomanwithahandba]

Only 7, 000 more sleeps to go before possibly delivering the first nuclear sub.