Australia Says 'Not Necessary' to Cancel Chinese Firm's Lease on Darwin Port
Australia said a security review of a 99-year lease held by Chinese company Landbridge on the northern port of Darwin, a key focus of its defense strategy, found it was "not necessary to vary or cancel the lease".In a statement, the prime minister's department said: "Australians can have confidence that their safety will not be compromised, while ensuring that Australia remains a competitive destination for foreign investment".It added that monitoring of security arrangements would continue around the northern port…
U.S. Navy Shipbuilders & Disaggregated, Dispersed Production
With a lame-duck CNO, a divided Congress and the impending launch of the next Presidential election cycle, America’s naval market is locked into something of a fragile and fearful autopilot, cruising inexorably towards whatever excitement 2024 might bring.Materially, don’t expect much change: The demand for naval platforms will continue to outstrip available funding, meaning there will be little movement or growth in America’s major shipbuilding programs of record. The procurement outlines are already set.
Inside the Subsea Cable Firm Secretly Helping America Take on China
On Feb. 10 last year, the cable ship CS Dependable appeared off the coast of the island of Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean atoll that’s home to a discreet U.S. naval base.Over the next month, the ship’s crew covertly laid an underwater fiber-optic cable to the military base, an operation code-named “Big Wave,” according to four people with direct knowledge of the mission, as well as a Reuters analysis of satellite imagery and ship tracking data.The new super-fast internet link to Diego Garcia, which has not previously been reported, will boost U.S. military readiness in the Indian Ocean, a region where China has expanded its naval influence over the last decade.The CS Dependable is owned by SubCom…
Thousands Rally in Australia Against Potential Submarine Base
Thousands of people rallied on Saturday against a future nuclear-powered submarine base at Port Kembla in eastern Australia as part of the A$368 billion ($244.1 billion) AUKUS defense pact with the United States and Britain.The second-largest coal export port in New South Wales state is the Defense Department’s preferred site for a new east-coast submarine base, according to state broadcaster ABC.Protesters carrying trade union banners and flags marched down the main street to voice their opposition to a base in the town of around 5…
Australia Outlines $245 Billion Nuclear Submarine Plan
Australia's nuclear-powered submarine program with the United States and Britain will cost up to A$368 billion ($245 billion) over the next three decades, a defense official said on Tuesday, the country's biggest single defense project in history.U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday unveiled details of a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines, a major step to counter China's…
US, Australia to Unveil Submarine Pact to Counter China
U.S. President Joe Biden will meet leaders of Australia and Britain in San Diego on Monday to announce a way forward for Australia to receive nuclear-powered submarines in Canberra's biggest-ever defense project.The three countries announced the so-called AUKUS plan in 2021 as part of efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region.However, questions remain over strict U.S. curbs on the extensive technology sharing needed for the project and about the length of time it will take to deliver the submarines.Australia is expected to buy up to five U.S.
Australia Speeds Up Purchase of Sea Mines to Shore Up Maritime Defense
Australia said on Monday it would accelerate plans to buy advanced sea mines to protect its maritime routes and ports from "potential aggressors" amid China's plans to increase its influence in the Pacific region.The so-called smart sea mines are designed to differentiate between military targets and other types of ships, a defence department spokesperson said in a statement."(Australia) is accelerating the acquisition of smart sea mines, which will help to secure sea lines of communication and protect Australia's maritime approaches," it said.
Plainer Sailing in Western Australia's New TS Scheme
New shipping fairways being progressively introduced in August 2012 off the coasts of NW Australia. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese recently announced the fairways saying commercial shipping was vital to Australia’s economy and with industrial and mining activity on the increase in Western Australia, so too was shipping. “For busy shipping routes, it’s important we continue to increase navigational safety and reduce the risk of ship groundings and collisions,” Mr Albanese said. “That is exactly what the new network of Shipping Fairways will do. He said vessels would begin to use the Shipping Fairways when electronic and paper navigational charts were progressively updated from this month (August 2012) onwards.
