The single biggest defence spend in Australian history was announced this week, with the government committing up to $368 billion over the next 30 years to acquire nuclear submarines.

Former prime minister Paul Keating has called it “the worst decision by a Labor government in a century”.

And big questions remain about whether these subs will ever be delivered at all. So, what could a misstep in the rollout mean for our security as tensions rise between China and the United States?

Today, emeritus professor of strategic studies at ANU, Hugh White, on why the AUKUS submarines might never be delivered.

You can read his article on the deal on The Saturday Paper website, published in conjunction with Australian Foreign Affairs.

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Guest: Emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University, Hugh White

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