And it Starts with China

But strangely not a mention to helping out with the genocide happening in West Papua from the Indonesians?

Yep.  Except I doubt anyone will be at all influenced even if our entire military capability was stationed there.  

... perhaps if we purchased a proper offensive nuclear submarine fleet someone might take us more seriously.

With the money they are spending on the Cook Islands, and their remote location in the middle of the ocean there, my money would be on them to start developing those islands up very soon as a military staging post or refueling base.
That's what I would do if I was them speaking long term militarily

I'll have a look on the net to see if I can find an article or two about that.  I've read here and there that our current Collins or any diesel subs are only for peacetime work.  We have them pull in to the wharf here from time to time.  A few years back one was parked here for weeks waiting for parts or some such.  

How long does the average naval exercise go for?  WW2 showed clearly that the best subs in the world at that time; the late war U boats; were defeated largely by airpower and by being detected at the surface getting to and from operational areas.  Diesel subs need a reliable supply of diesel (questionable in a drawn out confrontation) and much more time on the surface.  I hear nuclear subs can stay down for months at a time if they have to thereby cutting risk. 

I'm certainly no naval technologist but I equate diesel subs with piston engine aircraft ... obsolete in a real modern battlefield.

Absolutely agree.  Military's everywhere have a habit of undervaluing their good people.   Its also a feature of the public service sector.

There are many, many less important jobs than national defence that pay a sheetload more with way less effort and risk.  It gets even worse when countries resort to forcing people into the military.

Pleased to hear your daughter is being correctly valued now.



 

The NZ military suffers the same despite saying publically that their people are their best resource...unfortunately it has been my experience in several different services that individual staff officers often forget this premise and treat staff like they don't exist because they can...they have a name for their type - wankers...like most services and corporations often some in the higher echaelons are actually those that need weeding out for not remembering they exist to assist staff not the staff existing to complete their career path...