Australia rearms

[Zanza]

What's Australia's population?
30 millions, right?

How can they afford 12 submarines and a 100 new planes?

Their land forces are much smaller than those of other countries. I guess that allows them to invest overproportionally into aircraft and ships.

[Slargos]

Makes perfect sense. They don't have the manpower to properly defend against a land invasion by most of their massively overpopulated neighbours who have countless lives to throw away as cannonfodder.

Their first and last line of defense must thus be the ocean.

[DisturbedPervert]

Their first and last line of defense must thus be the ocean.

Yeap.  That ocean is the only thing keeping a hundred million Bmollsons out.

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure the fact that half the country is a desert & doesn't have much roads crossing it also has something to do.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Hopefully some of those F-35s will be the carrier version. 

Well, the Australians bought to us two small aircraft carriers designed to be JSF-capable (27,000 tons each). It seems only logical to buy F-35s to equip them when the time comes. I suppose Great Britain, Spain and Italy will do the same to replace their Harriers.   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_(LHD1)

I think those kind of ships are so neat. Part carrier, part amphibious assault ship. The more, the merrier, IMO. Even South Korea's got a amphib assault ship that could, theoretically, carry VSTOL aircraft.

[CountDeMoney]

I dunno...New Zealand is hardly great

They have fantastic rugby, and the highest rate of alcoholism among English-speaking nations.

[jimmy olsen]

I dunno...New Zealand is hardly great and Ireland's though itself quite insignificant had a huge effect on the development of the anglosphere.

New Zealand is a fascinating place, and the people are loyal to the anglosphere, if a bit soft.

It should merge with Australia as provided by Australia's Constitution.

[Iormlund]

Hopefully some of those F-35s will be the carrier version. 

Well, the Australians bought to us two small aircraft carriers designed to be JSF-capable (27,000 tons each). It seems only logical to buy F-35s to equip them when the time comes. I suppose Great Britain, Spain and Italy will do the same to replace their Harriers.   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_(LHD1)

I think those kind of ships are so neat. Part carrier, part amphibious assault ship. The more, the merrier, IMO. Even South Korea's got a amphib assault ship that could, theoretically, carry VSTOL aircraft.

Tons of nations have been building (and buying) these things lately. By the way, AFAIK these Australian units, unlike the Spanish Juanca they are based on, are not intended to handle fixed wing aircraft, just helicopters and amphibious craft.

[Viking]

I dunno...New Zealand is hardly great and Ireland's though itself quite insignificant had a huge effect on the development of the anglosphere.

New Zealand is a fascinating place, and the people are loyal to the anglosphere, if a bit soft.

It should merge with Australia as provided by Australia's Constitution.

Why? they disbanded their own airforce and hide behind the australians and the ANZUS alliance. They get the effect of the 100 fighters without actually having to pay for them.

[Neil]

It should merge with Australia as provided by Australia's Constitution.

Why should it do that?

[Fireblade]

Well, at least they have the good sense not to name those ugly little tin cans after shitty (i.e.: Republican) Presidents like we do.

Where is the U.S.S. William J. Clinton? 

[saskganesh]

Makes perfect sense. They don't have the manpower to properly defend against a land invasion by most of their massively overpopulated neighbours who have countless lives to throw away as cannonfodder.

Their first and last line of defense must thus be the ocean.

logistics. If Asia attacked with hordes, they would have a hard time crossing the central desert into the more valuable areas. it would break down much like the Italian offensive into Egypt from Libya.

the best strategy would be rope a dope. let them land in the North and capture Darwin. then use navy, airpower and highly mobile task forces to contain them in that area of operations and have them deal with the headaches of provisioning too many men that can't go on the offense anyway.

[Siege]

I don't think the chinese have the ability to land more than 20 000 men at a time.
I mean, Taiwan is a hell of a lot closer than Australia...

What's the latest report on the chinese troop-transport capabilities?

[Fireblade]

Makes perfect sense. They don't have the manpower to properly defend against a land invasion by most of their massively overpopulated neighbours who have countless lives to throw away as cannonfodder.

Their first and last line of defense must thus be the ocean.

logistics. If Asia attacked with hordes, they would have a hard time crossing the central desert into the more valuable areas. it would break down much like the Italian offensive into Egypt from Libya.

the best strategy would be rope a dope. let them land in the North and capture Darwin. then use navy, airpower and highly mobile task forces to contain them in that area of operations and have them deal with the headaches of provisioning too many men that can't go on the offense anyway.

A better defense:

[Siege]

You are a retard!

err, I mean, you are a defense!