Aukus had a less than immaculate conception. It was conceived in secrecy and born in haste, a tribute to political opportunism and a travesty of disciplined planning. The enthusiasm of theatrical announcements notwithstanding, it was in trouble from the beginning. The US Navy had serious doubts about both the ability of US shipbuilders to deliver submarines in any workable timeframe and the ability of the Royal Australian Navy to integrate and operate them. That was not a question of trust but of capacity – on both sides.
And, of course, experienced and well-informed Australian defence planners rang the warning bells from the beginning.
All of this is just reinforcing that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Just build Collins 2.0 - no way it could be more expensive than what is already on the table.
I think this was the original proposal in 2007 when Rudd was pm. We’ve been flip flopping on subs for almost 20 years