[LINK] Assembling supercomputers in space

[David]

On Friday, 23 May 2025 08:31:23 AEST Tom Worthington wrote:
> An anti-ballistic missile system. Some Australian warships are already capable of local missile defence, using a US system. The data from the radars on Australian and allied warships can be combined, and the missiles on all the ships coordinated.
> 
> When switched to "Automatic", the computers decide how many missiles to launch, when. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegis_Ballistic_Missile_Defense_Sy

All very impressive technology, I'm sure.  But there are overriding national questions concerning financial cost and the degree of _effective_ Australian autonomy in a developing confrontation.  I strongly suspect there's an inverse relationship between the scale and complexity of the technology and the degree of autonomy.

Do we want a US President (currently Donald Trump) making unilateral decisions regarding deployment of Australian defence assets which may result in a catastrophic response to Australia?  The stakes are way too high IMO, especially with the destructive potential and crippling cost of technology in 2025.

Off the top of my head, this sort of scenario has played out before during both WW I and WW II.  See for example https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/curtin-brings-home-troops during WW II:

> British Prime Minister Winston Churchill insisted the 7th Division should be deployed to Burma while the Australian Prime Minister John Curtin argued they should return immediately to defend Australia.

> A diplomatic feud ensued, but Curtin brought the troops home, adding momentum to Australia’s realignment of its foreign policy towards the United States rather than its traditional partner Great Britain.

_David Lochrin_