Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has criticized Peter Dutton as “belligerent” following revelations he tried to buy two US nuclear submarines to cover a capacity gap.
Turnbull criticized the former defense minister for his role in removing a French submarine deal in favor of acquiring nuclear submarines under the AUKUS security pact.
Dutton said he had planned to buy two Virginia-class submarines in the United States by 2030, to fill a gap, with nuclear submarines unlikely to be delivered until a decade later.
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“He was even braver on Dutton’s side … he’s a belligerent braggart who shattered a submarine contract,” Turnbull told ABC radio on Monday.
“We are in a position where we have no submarine program.
“Between (former Prime Minister Scott) Morrison and Dutton have done enormous damage to Australia’s national security.”
Opposition spokesman Andrew Hastie said a possible interim solution would send the wrong message to US and British allies that Australia is not taking delivery seriously “in a timely manner”.
“It sends a bad signal to our potential adversaries, and as the Navy chief himself said, according to the public record, the Royal Australian Navy is a pretty small force and we can’t run three different submarine classes at once. Time.” , he told Sky News.
Hastie denied that Dutton had divulged secret information.
Former Secretary of Defense Dennis Richardson said it was an illusion that Australia could have received two US nuclear submarines by the end of the decade.
“The more Americans hear the great Australians talk about the possibility of getting them in five years or 10 years, the more people in the American system scratch their heads and wonder if they’re dealing with a country that seriously understands the depth of the challenge, “he said.
“It’s very long to think that we will have nuclear-powered submarines from the Americans in 2030.”
Richardson said Australia did not yet have the necessary port facilities to serve nuclear submarines or trained crews.
He also noted that if Australia had nuclear-powered submarines, annual defense spending would have to rise above three per cent of GDP.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced last week that Australia had agreed to pay the French-based naval group $ 830 million for the discarded defense contract.
Richardson said the deal was a good result “because of the effort” that had been made.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Australia’s relationship with France could now move forward after the deal.
“The French Minister (of Defense, Sebastien Lecornu) welcomed the speed with which we have moved to resolve this issue, put a line down and move forward,” said Marles.
“France and Australia have a lot in common,” he added, noting the strong presence of the European nation in the Pacific region.
Albanese confirmed that he plans to visit Paris soon to try to mend the relationship, following an invitation from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.