duMonde International | Defence & Space Industry Experts’ Post

strong>A monumental transformation: /strong>There has been a great deal of public criticism of Australia’s decision to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) via the AUKUS security partnership. The criticism has been both broad and deep, spanning political and industrial challenges, budgetary consequences, safety and environmental concerns, strategic risks, and the erosion of national sovereignty. By: vince-scappatura-2 https://lnkd.in/gR5wxEhB

The antipodeans Sir Ernest Rutherford "father of nuclear physics" and Sir Mark Oliphant, "Opposer of the fission bomb" were the first experimental demonstrators of nuclear fusion. Why then are the Australian Government and the Federal Opposition not working to get it developed in Australia and bring it back home? New Zealand has, so why not Australia? Interesting articles about Nuclear and I know you haven't looked at Fusion. So let's look at the nuclear or Fission option versus Fusion 1. Fission (Nuclear) Not able to be licenced. https://lnkd.in/gbm2t5uU 2. Authorities have the power to grant licenses for fusion, which is not explicitly covered by the Nuclear Act or the ARPANSA definition. https://lnkd.in/gjKFABpy The above ARPANSA link defines nuclear as fission—no mention of Fusion. 3. A fission (Nuclear)reactor without fissile fuel is a building. 4. A fusion reactor without fissile fuel is a fusion reactor building 5, Fissile (Nuclear) fuel availability and the future cost is a concern, especially for economists and users Dittmar, M. (2011). The End of Cheap Uranium. ArXiv. /abs/1106.3617 Even the UN has identified this, so why does the Fission(Nuclear) industry persist in denying its death like fossil fuels https://lnkd.in/gze5rwpr 6. Should the focus in Australia be on nuclear fission advancement or the promotion of fusion technology? 7, Fission (Nuclear) is only at present in 39 countries out of 189. 8. Is Dutton doing a Menzies and wanting a loophole to get fission (Nuclear) weapons to start with for the subs? 9. Australia still has no high-level radiation waste storage facility 10. Helion Fusion has committed to having its fusion version working in 2028 11. The FIA (Fusion Industry Association) has postulated that commercial power fusion will be available in the 2030s. 12. In its fusion conference report in 2023, the IAEA postulated that all International nuclear (Fission) Laws like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty do not consider fusion, so it seems it can be built in Australia now. 13. Fusion is also being developed "Small Modular Fusion Reactors" like Zap Energy and Avalanche Energy. 14. HB11 and the UNSW Tokamak project have positioned Australia prominently in the trillion-dollar international fusion industry. Instead of relying on fission with a limited lifetime, wouldn't it be preferable to support Australian renewables, batteries, and hydrogen energy generators and back them up with a fusion power plant? This would eliminate the traditional waste problem while still providing medical isotopes and advancements in medical technology like MRIs. Let's focus on creating a sustainable future for Australia instead of perpetuating pollution and leading to an energy crisis. https://lnkd.in/ekakyifA

This paper examines how the challenges posed by technological developments, political complexities, and compliance issues impact the monitoring and verification of arms control agreements. It focuses on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, and the prospects that exist for promoting security and disarmament in the face of these challenges. To read more, visit: https://lnkd.in/dEk85PTw click the link in bio. To submit your work, visit https://lnkd.in/eYgVReYM #ArmsControl #Verification #Technology #Politics #Compliance #Security #GlobalSecurity #Nuclear #PeaceBuilding #Pakistan #CurrentAffairs

Russia Selects India Over China To Construct Its ‘Cutting-Edge’ Icebreaker Ships. Russia has chosen India over China for its non-nuclear icebreaker construction program. This decision comes as Russia seeks to develop its Northern Sea Route (NSR) and navigate the challenges posed by Western sanctions. The collaboration not only bolsters India-Russia relations but also positions India as a key player in Arctic affairs. In a significant move towards strengthening maritime cooperation, the Indian government is in talks with two shipbuilders—one state-owned and the other private—to construct four non-nuclear icebreaker ships valued at over Rs 6,000 crores ($750 million).

No gift: Indo-Pacific access is worth its weight in gold Often the transfer of nuclear-powered submarine technology is perceived as a'gift' to Australia. But in many ways, its a bargain for the US and UK who not only gain investment into their submarine industrial base, but priceless access to the Indo-Pacific through the new posture opportunities supported by access to Australia. My latest piece below 👇 for the Council on Geostrategy discusses. https://lnkd.in/g_sPPp2t

The AUKUS pact is proving to be an exciting yet challenging endeavour, set to reshape the strategic dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and redefine the standards of program execution in defence. 📅 Hear from our directors, Ed Robinson, Global Defence Lead and Greg Parkinson - MCIPS, Infrastructure and Procurement Advisory Lead, who will speak at the Submarine Institute of Australia's 12th SIA Biennial Conference. 🎤 At 9:45 a.m., Ed will present on ‘Delivering AUKUS—overcoming the challenges of people and skills, pace and behaviours'. His presentation will explore the human dimension of AUKUS and highlight the critical role of talent, nuclear experience, collaboration, and adaptable mindsets in achieving goals. 🎤 At 12:00 p.m., Greg will present in the session ‘Building for the future—balancing AUKUS with infrastructure development and community needs.’ He will share insights into how the UK Nuclear Submarine enterprise is investing in social infrastructure, how organisations are using data and analytics to manage and de-risk infrastructure programs and how the AUKUS program could input into and benefit from this modelling. Find out more and register: https://bit.ly/4h6hAhz #defence #AUKUS #infrastructure

Situation Report 13 August, 2024: Recent AUKUS Actions under Pillars 1 & 2, and their Implications for Security in the Indo-Pacific and Beyond Key takeaways:    -AUKUS recently conducted a test of uncrewed aerial vehicles. AUKUS also reached an agreement on Australia's nuclear submarine expansion, which includes the transfer of existing submarines and technology, and the building of new submarines. -These events highlight increasing security competition in the Indo-Pacific against China and signal closer technological cooperation among AUKUS. KSG assesses that there are potential economic opportunities for defence and other Western companies as AUKUS continues down its current path. -However, KSG also assesses there are concerns about longer-term escalatory risks as AUKUS conducts similar tests and agreements. Namely, Japan’s potential inclusion in AUKUS’s Pillar II, and China’s potential retaliatory actions against Australia. -Further expansions in AUKUS’ naval presence may prompt China’s expansion into other theatres like Africa to combat being ‘contained’. #AUKUS #US #UK #Intelligence #Defence

My latest situation report for the Knightsbridge Strategic Group on recent #AUKUS agreements and their potential impacts in the Indo-Pacific:

As I have recommended before, this should be based at sea for several reasons. The land-based leg of our triad is an expensive and less survivable redundancy. Basing nuclear ballistic missiles at sea on surface ships has three advantages: 1) It is harder to find and hit a moving target. 2) A mobile launch point complicates enemy defenses since the path of the missile won’t be as predictable. 3) Enemy efforts to eliminate the ships will result in nuclear weapons detonating in the middle of the ocean - not the middle of the United States. In contrast, the more “survivable” you make land-based nuclear missiles by hardening and increasing the number of silos, the more nukes the enemy will send to America to try to take them out. I prefer fewer nukes detonating on our soil - not more. And the way the Sentinal program is progressing - it might even be cheaper.

Reflection of the Week (RoW): After Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel, Israel responded by attacking the air defense systems meant to protect Isfahan’s nuclear facility. Even though the alleged attack was rather small and resulted in minimal losses and no casualties, it shows Israel’s ability to penetrate Iran’s air defense systems. This explains why the Islamic Republic has downplayed the attack so as not to escalate the situation into a direct confrontation. Iran and Israel are playing a theatrical game of cat and mouse like they have been for years. The calculations on both sides have so far been tactical and precise in order to avoid a regional conflict. However, there is always the looming threat that something could go wrong, which would jeopardize the security and stability of the entire region and the world. #nuclear #Middleeast #iran #Israel