EPISODE · Aug 23, 2025
British Nuclear Subs: Lessons for us
from Radioactive Show · host Guest: Tim Deer-Jones. Presenters: Sam Gibbard, Michaela Stubbs.
Initially announced in September 2021, the AUKUS trilateral "security" partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, involves two lines of effort referred to as pillars. Pillar 1 focuses on Australia acquiring nuclear-powered attack submarines and the rotational basing of US and UK nuclear-powered attack submarines in Australia.This week we spoke with Tim Deere-Jones the author of a detailed new report released this month on the British nuclear submarine experience that has been written for Friends of the Earth Australia. Tim Deere-Jones has a B.Sc. degree in Maritime Studies and has operated a Marine Pollution Research Consultancy since the 1980s focusing on Nuclear and Radioactive Marine Pollution, causes/outcomes of hazardous cargos and shipping accidents, marine hydrocarbon, and chemical spills.Dr. Jim Green, National Nuclear Campaigner with Friends of the Earth Australia, said that “The report reveals disturbing patterns of unacceptable safety risks, an appalling lack of transparency, cost-blowouts and delays". Green calls for the Australian Government to "immediately initiate a thorough, independent review of the AUKUS submarine project and this report should be an important input into that inquiry.”The report also details deadly collisions between civilian vessels and nuclear submarines; radioactive discharges to the environment from Nuclear Sub bases; and highlights the eye-watering amounts of money involved in the building, maintaining and then disposing of these vessels which have a fairly short shelf life. The estimated cost to the UK's ministry of defense to fully disposing of one submarine is £96 million or $200 million AUD.The full report, ‘The British experience with nuclear-powered submarines: lessons for Australia’, is available online at nuclear.foe.org.au/nuclear-subs.If what you have heard has concerned you, and you want to get involved, there are a number of ways to take action:IPAN has a petition on their website: Public Call to the Australian Government to cancel the AUKUS - find this at ipan.org.au.There is a National Anti-AUKUS Day of Action coming up on the September 21 on the International Day of Peace. Find or promote a local event at antiaukuscoalition.org.
What this episode covers
Initially announced in September 2021, the AUKUS trilateral "security" partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, involves two lines of effort referred to as pillars. Pillar 1 focuses on Australia acquiring nuclear-powered attack submarines and the rotational basing of US and UK nuclear-powered attack submarines in Australia.This week we spoke with Tim Deere-Jones the author of a detailed new report released this month on the British nuclear submarine experience that has been written for Friends of the Earth Australia. Tim Deere-Jones has a B.Sc. degree in Maritime Studies and has operated a Marine Pollution Research Consultancy since the 1980s focusing on Nuclear and Radioactive Marine Pollution, causes/outcomes of hazardous cargos and shipping accidents, marine hydrocarbon, and chemical spills.Dr. Jim Green, National Nuclear Campaigner with Friends of the Earth Australia, said that “The report reveals disturbing patterns of unacceptable safety risks, an appalling lack of transparency, cost-blowouts and delays". Green calls for the Australian Government to "immediately initiate a thorough, independent review of the AUKUS submarine project and this report should be an important input into that inquiry.”The report also details deadly collisions between civilian vessels and nuclear submarines; radioactive discharges to the environment from Nuclear Sub bases; and highlights the eye-watering amounts of money involved in the building, maintaining and then disposing of these vessels which have a fairly short shelf life. The estimated cost to the UK's ministry of defense to fully disposing of one submarine is £96 million or $200 million AUD.The full report, ‘The British experience with nuclear-powered submarines: lessons for Australia’, is available online at nuclear.foe.org.au/nuclear-subs.If what you have heard has concerned you, and you want to get involved, there are a number of ways to take action:IPAN has a petition on their website: Public Call to the Australian Government to cancel the AUKUS - find this at ipan.org.au.There is a National Anti-AUKUS Day of Action coming up on the September 21 on the International Day of Peace. Find or promote a local event at antiaukuscoalition.org.
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British Nuclear Subs: Lessons for us
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