Defence Minister Peter Dutton has ordered that all of the six Collins-class submarines be rebuilt to extend their life for another 10 years.  Meanwhile, the order with the French company for 12 new diesel-powered submarines has blown out to a cost of $90 billion from the original $50 billion quoted.  Former submariner and Independent Senator for South Australia Rex Patrick discusses with Chris Smith the question of custom-built diesel-powered submarines versus nuclear-powered off the shelf.  With China already operating 60-70 submarines in the Indo-Pacific, they consider Australia’s vulnerability with its current lack of security at sea.

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