Hegseth calls US-built nuclear submarines the ‘apex predator’ of the seas. But are they right for Australia?

On stage for his “arsenal of freedom tour”, the US secretary of defense – who prefers the appellation “secretary of war” – was ebullient. “This Virginia-class submarine is a paragon of American engineering and fighting spirit,” Pete Hegseth roared, standing at Newport News shipyards where those boats are being built. “It is the apex predator of the undersea domain, the most advanced and lethal submarine ever built.” There are few who would argue with the Virginia’s lethality. Australia is set to buy three of these boats, second-hand, from the US Navy, beginning in 2032. But is it the right submarine…