Former Australian PM says nuclear-powered subs 'worst deal in all history'

Keatings lost the plot. Although he was great back in his day, he still thinks he is living in the 90s. Many of us wish we were Paul, but Kansas has unfortunately gone bye bye!

Keating doesnt mince his words...always an entertainer.

Keating also lashed out at some journalists at the event, telling one reporter her question “is so dumb, it’s hardly worth an answer” and another that “you should hang your head in shame” over his newspaper's recent coverage of China's perceived threat to Australia."

Right, all this money spent should hopefully have the following result:

NO WAR WITH CHINA!!!

So, in economic sense it's a waste, as the sub assets never used in actual combat, but who exactly prefers using such weapons in war?!

This idiot clearly has no clue about military affairs. I don't know where to begin....

This corrupt hack Keating has deep, deep connections with Communist China. He is essentially their puppet in Australia. Keating also advocated for a casino being built in Sydney - Crown - due to them paying him millions. Crown was later found by the courts of Australia to be riddled with corruption and banned from opening.

His claims that Australia is a "bigger threat to the region than China" is simply laughable.

I suspect Taiwan is Australia's business unless it wants to loose market access to Taiwan and Japan when the former is destroyed and the latter is blockaded.

Really? I mean, the rubbish of it. The rubbish.

How can you state it better? Yes, PRC is a threat to the world... economically. Now with the collapsing banks, who are buying it up? I don't say it is a good thing that PRC is taking economic control, but that is the threat, and everything else is, rubbish!

Very Profound remarks. Thank Mr. Keating, a true honest gentleman!

Only an idiot would call him an idiot. He is no hack. You don't know what you are blathering about. As he said (if you seek out extended coverage), we could have had 40-50 conventional subs for the price of these 8, without all the attached issues/difficulties (disposing of nuclear materials etc.).

Whilst he is undoubtedly an intellectual, the bitterness of being rolled as PM by John Howard 26 years ago still festers beneath his skin and he now takes aim at anybody who has the temerity to have an alternative viewpoint to him. He is an avid antique collector. He also should be sat on a shelf. He had his time in the sun, now quietly fade into the sunset.

He had his time in the sun, now quietly fade into the sunset.

A very puzzling point of view. Democracy, as we all know, is based on encouraging a range of opinions. A former Prime Minister, with a wealth of experience behind him, might possibly even be thought of as worthy of jumping the queue in front of Joe Bloggs in getting his voice heard. Why on Earth should he crawl away and die? A long life = lessons learned (usually). We shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the elderly.

For those on here so keen on macho posturing/spoiling for a showdown with China: Do you have any idea what that would mean for Australia, if we got into a shooting war with them over Taiwan? With important US bases on our soil? Yes...a high probability of some very serious pain (devastated cities). You're up for that right?

Absolutely right you could have more short range subs that have to come up to breath and charge batteries for the money. For the cost of a self propelled howitzer you could have lots of horse drawn ww1 pieces, they still throw shells so why not! Sadly for him technology moves on including military technology. Having lots of technologically outdated equipment doesn’t actually help as has recently been proved by the Muscovite army in Ukraine.

The main difference between the nuclear powered subs and what the French were offering is they can stay at sea much longer. The French subs still pack a hell of a punch. If you're focused on defending your own territory instead of poking your nose into things that are not in your vital interest, the French subs are in no way "outdated". They are/would be state of the art, in fact.

Actually Keating is quite smart....what superior qualifications / intellect do you have to call him an " idiot"?

LOL. What qualifications does corrupt ex-politician Keating have? Apparently he collects antique clocks, and "reads a lot"...which makes him "smart".

Reality : Keating is just a High school dropout with zero qualifications. Career politician - and still at it - holding his hand out for his Communist Chinese paymasters.

The UK will do anything the US tells it to, and will happily accept cash for weapons from anyone, even if those weapons are used on women and children, as in Yemen.

Australian opinion may change when their taxes go up to pay for all this. Shiny isn't free.

Don't expect the subs to arrive on time. The US may decide to focus its resources on building more tech for itself. According to a previous JT article, some stuff Japan ordered never even arrived. I wonder if they ever got their cash back?

The timescale is a long one. Parts of Australia may be uninhabitable due to climate change in a few years time. Australian priorities may change and the deal may be cut back.

The chances of any China/Australia conflict are virtually zero. If there is any conflict, Japan and South Korea are US allies with US bases, and are much closer. They will take any hits. Australia is just too far away.

Still, at least the Aussies will have a bit more protection from the Kiwis.

For 360 billion AUD.....

Well, the cost will soars as time goes by, a huge cost overruns,you know you are 1000% rely on foreign support and lacking the knowledge or logistics of nuclear science. One of the reasons Canada give up participated the nuclear submarine club.

“The only way the Chinese could threaten Australia or attack it is on land. That is, they bring an armada of troop ships with a massive army to occupy us,” Keating said. “This is not possible for the Chinese to do.”

This guy is a REAL FOOL and understands little about tactical warfare. You land troops AFTER bombing the bleep out of the place and decimating any standing army and infrastructure. I guess he's never heard of weapons like TLAMs and SSBNs with ICBMs that carry MIRVs. I believe they have those so China could easily target critical areas and occupy Australia. Without your own deterrent threat you are a sitting duck. Good thing he's not the PM anymore and this PM realizes the danger.

So, in economic sense it's a waste, as the sub assets never used in actual combat, but who exactly prefers using such weapons in war?!

Well there was the sinking of the General Belgrano by a RN sub in 1982. Argentine subs certainly imposed some restrictions on the activities of RN aircraft carriers during that war. I can guarantee you that the fact that a RN nuclear sub armed with Tomahawk missiles could be sitting off the Argentine coast within range of Buenos Aires keeps the Argentines from stirring up trouble around the Falklands. I can also tell you that while talking to an F/A-18 pilot about the efficacy of certain anti ship missiles against large warships like aircraft carriers he had a telling comment, "there won't be much left for us to shoot at after the subs get done with the PLAN"..

For 360 billion AUD.....

Well, the cost will soars as time goes by, a huge cost overruns,you know you are 1000% rely on foreign support and lacking the knowledge or logistics of nuclear science. One of the reasons Canada give up participated the nuclear submarine club.

The Virginia class is a mature design in series production for 23 years. 21 have been commissioned in the US Navy, one is nearly complete, six more under construction and two more on order. A total of 66 are to be built for the US. Costs are stable and declining. It is not a new development program like the Canadian effort was.

The worst of all deals...

Australia is becoming the concubine of the US in the Asia-Pacific region, and that can bring to the Aussies very disastrous consequences..

@Tortoise: You think China is "Argentina 1982"? China has no cruise missiles, no anti ship or other kind of missiles, China has no SSN and China has no satellites.....? Good !

I remember the Argentina at war has 6 Exocets and their German made submarines were diesel and not functioning well at that time!

@TokyoLiving: They won't made it, time will tell this stupid thing as described by Keating was rejoice in 2023 because a mania of anti China madness in that country.

Actually they have been stupid before, in 2016 when their PM signed their submarine deal with DCN, the French sold them an empty promise, a drawing on paper, seven years of time has been wasted. If the Aussie being wiser chosen either the German or Japan made submarine, they have got the first one by now.

@Tortoise: You think China is "Argentina 1982"? China has no cruise missiles, no anti ship or other kind of missiles, China has no SSN and China has no satellites.....? Good !

I'm not sure what your point is. My point is that submarines remain highly relevant in modern naval warfare. If you study the PLAN they do not have the sensors or weapons to counter the best western subs and especially with US and UK SSNs. I don't know if you have ever seen what a Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo does to a ship but they are more deadly than any cruise missile made.

The Virginias are vastly better than any Chinese sub commissioned so far. They will constitute five more high end SSNs on the allied side able to menace the PLAN anywhere in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, South China Sea or the Pacific. It is one more reason for Chinese war planners to decide invading Taiwan or the Ryukyus isn't a good idea.