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| Existing Collins class Submarine |
Max Blenkin
Defence Minister Stephen Smith says key decisions will soon be made on Australia's next generation submarine to replace the ageing Collins class boats.
With the backdrop of the USS Michigan, a visiting nuclear-powered guided missile submarine moored at HMAS Stirling navy base in Western Australia, Mr Smith told reporters all options remained on the table, except that of nuclear propulsion.
The minister said if Australia was to acquire nuclear-powered submarines all maintenance and sustainment would have to be outsourced to another country because of the lack of a local nuclear industry.
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Mr Smith said defence was working on the array of options for the boats which will replace the navy's six Collins class vessels, provisionally set to retire around 2025.
"We are not too far away from making an announcement about the first stage of what will be the single largest capital works program the Commonwealth of Australia has ever engaged in," Mr Smith told reporters.
"That is why we have been proceeding very sensibly, very methodically and very diligently before we start the design and construction stage of the program."
Read the full story at The Age