re: #100 Dopamine Fish

The articles I read implied being based on the US Virginia-class, which would fit with the mission profile of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The British Astute-class SSN is capable of firing Tomahawks through it’s torpedo tubes.
One of the problems facing Australia is manning these new boats. A Virginia requires twice the crew of the RAN’s current Collins-class. The Astute requires about one and a half times the crew. Australia already has problems meeting personnel numbers.
The original plan was to acquire 12 conventional Attack-class boats with roughly the same crewing as the current Collins. Which was already going to be a challenge to man.
Thoughts from a number of mil-industry folks from down under that I interact with are getting the sense that it will be Astute boats, eight in total, that way matching to original Collins replacement plan personnel numbers.