Ann: JAT Product Approval - South Korea, page-81

Beijing has already been threatening Australia with ballistic missiles over the presence of US military facilities at Darwin and "interfering in its internal affairs", so it's not new. The increase in defense capability is simply a necessary response, hardly an unwarranted "provocation".

What the nuclear powered submarine program will provide is the possibility of Australia being able to genuinely and effectively retaliate if acts of war should ever become reality. So without necessarily having to develop land based missile shields or potentially vulnerable land based ballistic missile technology, Australia will have the capability to defend itself against hostile threats and hopefully deter aggression. War is actually more likely if one side thinks they can get away with it without significant cost.

Yes it's 20 years away but that capability will extend to integration with US and friendly navies. And if Scomo decides to lease and operate a couple of Virginia class boats from the US it could easily happen a lot earlier. Being able to prowl around the Pacific for months undetected while providing long range bearings of hostile targets to protect friendly assets is a huge help to countering potential aggression and maintaining the balance of power in the region. The French boats are old technology and probably cyber hacked by potential enemies already. And France doesn't have a particularly good reputation when it comes to keeping promises to allies either...

The price of peace is eternal vigilance, which includes preparing to defend ones self against obvious building threats.