How Powerful Is Royal Australian Navy By Defence Study. Comments by Tim Brian Tufuga

I have been analysing the Sino American power projection capabilities and was recently introduced to the AUKUS miltary alliance and how the British Australian and American naval power projection within the South China Region. I had also compared the Australian Navy Fleet to the Regional Naval fleets, their power capabilities and realised that AUKUS is not as formidible of an alliance without the Americans. The Australian Navy in particular was once considered formidible after world war two. Soon after World War Two as a result of flourishing Asian economies rather than Australian military procurement and power projection stagnatoin the Asian Military advances particularly within the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesian Naval fleet expansion has proven more militarily more capable and combat effective comparable to the Australian Naval capabilities, despite having the most state of the art American and British weapon systems, ie, Harpoons, SM3, SM6 ESSMs, and soon the Norwegian NSMs. 

The Asian regional rivals have just as capable ASMs and SAMs, ASCMs as well as Submarines capabilities. Noting the future procurements of the British Type 26, in which the HMS Glasgow is currently being fitted out to be commissioned in 2028 and the RAN will not receive the first Hobart Class until 2028. The First SSN three Virginian Class SSNs Block 5? will arrive for coastal service and Australian seamen training, along with a single British Astute Class SSN, in 2028 till 2033 when Australia will manufacture their first indigenous Virginia Class SSN, it appears that the RAN Regional power projection at least within the next half decade is not so capable. The Arafura Class OPVs or Corvettes will add some potency to coastal border patrols capabilities if somewhat flimsy range and scope. 

Anything is an improvement to the current Armidale Class OPVs. The current 40mm gun primary weapon is already well and truly obsolete comparable to the Chinese Type 056 Corvettes and the Type 054 Frigates, and certainly combat ineffective to the Chinese Type 055 Destroyers with their array of weapon systems brimming with kick your arse capabilities. 

The Chinese EW and radar detection systems, the Chinese version of the AEGIS system is by far more advanced than either the Royal Navy, the US Navy, except for the Arleigh Burke Block 5 radar range with their AN SPY 6 Gallium Nitrate systems which if Australia is able to procure this capabilities will augment their detection range to come somewhat close to the detection capabilities of the Chinese Type 346 Dragpn Eye. From the present appraisal of the RAN, RN and the USN within AUKUS, without the Americans, the Australians are very feeble even with the Virginia SSN upgrades, the Arafura Class OPVs and the Hobart ASW Destroyers and the Hunter Class (Type 26) specs modular upgrades, the Chinese and other regional navies, are much more advanced and more capable than the RAN.

Tim Tufuga​ Tim Brian Tufuga​

Source:

Defence Study, Youtube.com, https://youtu.be/SGKvD0dlGD0?si=dVv_X-ce-0qzp_m6, 2023.