Australian Collins class submarines transiting through Cockburn Sound, Western Australia, which will be an expanded base for the new nuclear-powered boats (Chris Prescott/Defence Department)
By Marc Ablong
The key questions for the Royal Australian Navy coming out of the 2025–26 federal budget are: whether sufficient funds are being spent to sustain Australia’s existing naval capabilities; what investments are occurring to acquire new capabilities and how long will it take to introduce those capabilities into service; whether the combined investments in sustainment and acquisition will meet the demands of the national defence strategy (NDS) to deliver deterrence by denial through ensuring lethal but survivable naval capabilities in an increasingly challenging and contested maritime environment. From Baird Maritime.
