The Australian Navy’s game-changing $1.5 billion warship

www.dailytelegraph.com.au...
The title says it all really . Sure there will be those that say , that's not a ship , this is a ship . Hey we have a fifteenth the population of the US . Give us a break . Any-ways there is some Interesting information above including time-lapse photography of the last parts of the ship being built . But what excites me is below .

Some politicians have raised the possibility of the two LHDs becoming full-blown Australian aircraft carriers some time down the track. What they have not said is that such a move would cost taxpayers more than $300 million per ship.

So given we are getting two of these ships we have 2 potentially aircraft carriers . Mind you i would imagine they would not carry many aircraft , and from memory i think they could only accommodate 6-7 f35s and they would have to be purchased . Apparently this was on the cards until recently .
defensetech.org...

So each ship costs me 681 dollars . I have already paid my taxes , upgrade the ships and buy the planes already .

Here here to that mate. Anything that keeps my allies enduring in the global game of civilization is tops by me. I would gladly pay 681$ to help my government fund some new naval capacity and projection of force capabilities. Clearly we have an unlimited printing press though, so i guess its not really fair.

a reply to: hutch622

Always nice to see some one of my favorite countries more able to defend itself, especially in that turbulent area.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Always nice to see some one of my favorite countries

Its number one in my list of favourite countries as well.

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Always nice to see some one of my favorite countries

Its number one in my list of favourite countries as well.

Me and my wife both plan to travel there soonish.

It's one of the few places that I consider an attack on them an attack on my own person.

Well for my $681 , I expect a coupla game fishing trips a year .... thanks !

a reply to: radarloveguy
Not sure the government is in the business of game fishing .

a reply to: hutch622

Hi Hutch, I love the Fleet Air Arm. I was a member in the 70's to the 80's. In saying that I am not comfortable with a platform at sea that has only a helicopter component. Not much in the way of defence other than sonar preceeding a task force. I am all for fixed wing and AWACS but sure rotary wing can cover a missle attack by flying as cover for the flat top. (eg, Falklands)

To say to the public that it would only cost $300 million to convert to a fully functional aircraft carrier is a bit daft considering this might not cover the cost nowadays of purchasing and operating just 1 fixed wing aircraft off the deck along with AWACS to cover the fleet.

Sure, we can support other carriers and perhaps assist in local defence and ground assistance but as a ground/sea changer the carrier in this phase may be a bit of a burden to a task force. The ability to carry/land mobile armour on foreign soil is not new (HMAS Sydney) but I would be unsure in its usefelness in this capacity given modern warfare tactics. I suspect this carrier and the other would not be equipped to go on an offensive even given their own task forces.

As a defensive platform, in close to shore it will be a deterrent but we have over 40,000 klms of shoreline.

My thoughts,

Kind regards,

bally

a reply to: hutch622

.... then I want my $681 BACK !
.....2nd

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Me and my wife both plan to travel there soonish.

Just do your homework weather wise if you come here . January February can be hellishly hot in the south and constant rain in a place like Darwin up north . June july is perfect in Darwin but cold and wet south .

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Me and my wife both plan to travel there soonish.

Just do your homework weather wise if you come here . January February can be hellishly hot in the south and constant rain in a place like Darwin up north . June july is perfect in Darwin but cold and wet south .

She is from the Philippines

Just curious if submarine fleet debacle will be repeated . BTW is any of those 20 something subs on duty now?

a reply to: bally001

As a defensive platform, in close to shore it will be a deterrent but we have over 40,000 klms of shoreline.

Good luck attacking most of that coastline . Want to land 200 ks west of Broome , sure go for it where are you going to go , only one road . Darwin , doubt anyone would get close its probably the most defended part of Australia . Ahnemland , good luck . Exmouth or Cairns , good luck sneaking up . Australias coastline and geography for the most part IS its best defence .

a reply to: JanAmosComenius

Just curious if submarine fleet debacle will be repeated . BTW is any of those 20 something subs on duty now?

We only have six and one was finished being refurbished today or yesterday i believe .

a reply to: hutch622

No one can attack Aussie anyways. The combined might of the USA and AUS navy can stop any landing from happening, and I will be damned before my country doesn't defend AUS.

a reply to: hutch622

Understood. Japenese looked at that also in the 40's. Father was in Darwin and Broome when they were bombed. His thoughts at that time, regardless of distance, that those northern and western landscapes could not be defended and an invading force could establish a foothold and base oprations there without advancing.

Now Hutchman I'm going out on a limb so to speak here. The thinking was, that had an enemy base been established, then a retreat to the 'Brisbane Line' would be initiated. On the flip side then defensive allied forces would be on the back foot due to the remoteness giving the enemy time to in-trench and establish itself.

Perth/Fremantle was an option open afterwards considering the asian and pacific operations being carried on in that time. Granted, its all speculation but in saying that the vastness of our coastline may not be a deterrent considering all options in the 40's was a given. Sure, nowadays with Jindalee and various air bases within defensive striking range of the coast I'm sure our land based operatives would suffice but in my post, what I'm alluding to is the fact that the new carriers may not be the deterrent or capable of the offensive in these modern circumstances.

My kind regards as always,

Bally

a reply to: bally001

Hasn't Australia's defence force been built around just that , defence . And at this stage they are not aircraft carriers . If a country , lets call it indochinesia were to get a foothold in lets say Broome , well its a long long way to anywhere really . One road , good luck trying to go cross country .

a reply to: hutch622

I was picking from memory. Here is ABC's Daily Beast infographic on subject:
www.youtube.com...

Funny or sad? Not sure.

a reply to: hutch622

That's why God created allies. AUS is a great country and would receive support, making it a very bad day for anyone managing to land. Plus, Aussies are not the kind of people you want to screw with. They have balls.

a reply to: hutch622

Cheers to you too mate. I can move in put me feet up in Broome not fearing that it will be defended in the near future.