Asia-Pacific News

May 21, 2009, 6:24 GMT

Australian Navy in the dock over sidelined subs

Sydney - Only one of the Australian Navy's six submarines is ready for action, news reports said Thursday. Four are in dock for maintenance and a fifth is to be out of service for months because of battery problems, The Daily Telegraph reported. The news came after the navy was criticized for slackness when its top brass decided that most of the fleet would take December and January off so sailors could spend quality time with their families over the holidays. 'It's about getting a culture in place that's about working smarter not harder,' Navy Chief Vice Admiral Russ Crane said. He was criticized by Liberal Party defence spokesman David Johnson. 'I've never seen a Defence Force that is charged with the protection of Australia saying, 'We're going to have six to eight weeks off over Christmas because we think it's a good thing for the mums and dads,'' Johnson said.

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