Cut back on vulnerable surface combatants

In an asymmetric fight with huge navies, Australia’s few surface combatants cannot survive. We will never match the missile and shipbuilding capability of the superpowers.

Our plan is to counter these huge navies with land and air launched anti-ship missiles.

Superpowers vs. Australia	Warships and submarines
PRC	754
USA	470
Russia	419
India	135
Australia	33

Existing vessels should be sold or painted white, ‘de-navalised’ and transferred to Border Force for maritime policing work. (See references)

We should certainly not be buying any more frigates, they would be quickly destroyed in any conflict with a superpower. They will either be small with limited defensive magazines or large and a bigger target.

Australia should seek to modify our agreement with Japan to buy Mogami class frigates and instead buy Japanese Tagei class submarines.

See also new DF-100 missile range.