AUKUS and the case for submarines

June 18, 2026

In this article the question is being asked if Australia really needs to have any submarines at all. Although I do share many of the doubts about AUKUS, as an island country surrounded by oceans, I would argue that we should maintain a strong submarine force to strengthen and enable our ability to exercise sea control of our EEZ and as a serious deterrent. Submarines are extremely useful weapons and are not at all obsolete nor going that way any time soon. Nearly every other country that has a need or desire and capacity to protect its maritime territory and interests has reached the same conclusion.

The USA continues developing and building submarines, so too is China, Russia, the UK, France, Japan, Germany, Korea, Taiwan, Sweden, Spain, Canada, etc. etc. Are they all mistaken?

In the Falklands war the Argentinian navy found out, sadly, the hard way what submarines are capable of and that basically ended their activities in that war. That is apart from one old submarine which the British Royal Navy apparently expended a serious amount of effort and munitions trying to find and protect themselves from. There are two types of ships, submarines and targets!