Four Corners: Season 2023, Episode 14

2023 - 14: Going Nuclear

The United States, for only the second time ever, is prepared to share its nuclear submarine technology. And it will be sharing it with us.

In framing last month's AUKUS announcement this way, the question of "should we go nuclear?" has largely been ignored.

On this week's episode of Four Corners, we examine the price of pursuing this nuclear dream — how it will cost up to $32 million a day for the next three decades, require a near-tripling of an already stretched submarine corps and limit Defence's ability to produce or buy other critical military items.

But most of all we investigate how the navy is struggling to keep its current fleet of ageing subs in the water.

We reveal it had only one battle-ready submarine from its fleet of six at the start of this year.

This was due to floods, a fire and maintenance delays, which are set to become even more common as the fleet enters its fourth decade of service.

If we are finding it difficult to keep these conventional submarines in the water, can we really go nuclear?