Australia could need a new fleet of conventional submarines to avoid a major gap in the nation’s defences amid doubts the nuclear subs will meet the deadline of 2038. auspol
Asked whether he would order Defence to look into building a conventional fleet of submarines, Marles said: “We need to look at how we bridge the gap. That’s all I can say. And my mind is open about how we do that.”
The defence minister committed to continue providing political will to allegations of war crimes committed by Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan, saying it was important the steps taken so far “continue to receive the support of government, as it did under the last government”. Marles said it was also important the new government’s rhetoric about a growing and more aggressive China was “sober”, having rebuked the country on the weekend over a dangerous interaction between a Chinese fighter jet and a RAAF plane over the South China Sea,“We won’t be beating our chests in the way we saw the former government do that. The focus is on the action we need to engage in,” he said.
Marles has returned to the defence portfolio, having served as Labor’s defence spokesperson from 2016 to January last year, and says he won’t be owned by the Department of Defence.