Response to Kym Bergman paper
Craig Turner, 25 March 2025
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This is an article published in The Australian by Kym Bergman,
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/turning-canberraclass-lhds-into-aircraft-carriers/news-story/1f135571e6677236a19a48335bff9913

It argues for a refit to Australia's Canberra class Landing Helicopter Docks
so that they can support F35B aircraft.

The article is branded in the oz as a /Special Report/. The paper has disabled
comments against the article, I do not understand why.

I write to reject the central claim of the article, that Australia should
refit the Canberra class to take F35Bs.

As always, the burden of evidence sits with the person making the claim,
rather than those that are skeptical of it.

In this case, Berman fails to explain why the Canberra class vessels would be
more relevant to Australia's needs if it could host F35Bs. The closest he
comes is this unsupported claim, "Given Australia's deteriorating strategic
circumstances, [this project] should be a high priority."

The author might have tried to explain how a Canberra+F35Bs would be more
relevant to Australia's needs than Australia's current solutions, but has not
done so.

The Canberra-class design was born out of lessons from the East Timor
operation. Operating F35s off the Canberra-class would not make the ships more
relevant to that mission.

Nor would the capability offer particular deterrance to China. Helicopters can
be equipped with anti-submarine technology. F35s are not effective at that.
Having them on the ships would make them more valuable targets.

The most serious of Australia's current strategic challenges is the
possibility of the US retreating into isolationism, which would leave
Australia vulnerable to bullying from China, including the possibility of
nuclear blackmail.

In that world, Australia's best move would be to partner closely with Japan on
a strategic nuclear program, because Japan faces a similar and equivalent
threat.

Given the possibility of this, Australia should be pouring its current
capacity into programs that are both relevant to its immediate alliance with
the US, and which also complement the hypothetical of a future close
collaboration with Japan.

Examples of relevant programs: long-range missile systems and long-range
bombers. These technologies could be used to make strikes against targets in
the straight of Malaga, and could be refitted with nuclear weapons.

In light of this, it is clear that a project to refit the Canberra for F35Bs
would be an expensive distraction from real priorities.