AS decision time approaches on Australia's new submarine project, the question needs to be posed: Why not nuclear submarines?
There are advantages in having a nuclear submarine instead of the classical one. The nuclear submarine stays below the surface much longer and its range is not limited by fuel it carries. 
These are the reasons that major powers have mainly nuclear submarines. As Australian society and political parties have accepted uranium mining and started to recognise that other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle could bring more revenue and more jobs, we should consider nuclear submarines as well.
If the nuclear submarines are built in South Australia, it would considerably increase the capability of the Australian Navy.
It would also provide a necessary technical platform for any planning and development of any part of the nuclear fuel cycle that would be established in Australia.
There are not enough adequately qualified engineers and scientists in Australia who could work in uranium enrichment, fuel manufacturing or the medium and high-level radioactive waste disposal.
No Australian university has a suitable program that would produce such specialists.
If a decision is made that nuclear submarines are to be made in Adelaide, a local university would be advised to establish a nuclear engineering faculty with courses that would generate enough specialists for the safe operation of nuclear submarines, and any part of the nuclear fuel cycle, to be established in South Australia.
Whatever is recommended by the Royal Commission into the nuclear energy needs to be backed up by adequate local expertise, which sadly does not exist at present.
It would be difficult to "import" the number of suitably qualified nuclear professionals required, as there is no excess of such professionals overseas.
Considering that the nuclear power plant industry has reached a plateau for the time being, and no quick growth is expected, it is hard to imagine that there would be any requirement for any additional uranium enrichment and fuel manufacturing facilities.
There is no doubt, however, that the nuclear plant industry will grow within a decade. Thus it would be very prudent to accept and build nuclear submarines, supported by the local nuclear engineering faculty. Such a step would also prepare a new generation of nuclear fuel cycle experts for bigger things to come in the near future.Adelaide-based Dr Jiri Kvasnicka is the only nuclear engineer who has a private firm in Australia that supplies the process control and radiation monitoring systems to the uranium mining industry worldwide.