Allies unveil submarine plan
SAN DIEGO - The United States, Australia and Britain on Monday unveiled details of a plan to provide Australia with nuclearpowered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.
Addressing a ceremony at the US naval base in San Diego, accompanied by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden called the agreement under the 2021 AUKUS partnership part of a shared commitment to a freeand-open Indo-Pacific region with two of America’s “most stalwart and capable allies.”
Mr Sunak called it “a powerful partnership,” adding: “For the first time ever it will mean three fleets of submarines working together across the Atlantic and Pacific keeping our oceans free ... for decades to come.”
Under the deal, the United States intends to sell Australia three US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines, which are built by General Dynamics, in the early 2030s, with an option for Australia to buy two more if needed, a joint statement said.
It said the multi-stage project would culminate with British and Australian production and operation of a new submarine class — SSN-AUKUS — a “trilaterally developed” vessel based on Britain’s nextgeneration design that would be built in Britain and Australia and include “cutting edge” US technologies.
Britain would take delivery of its first SSN-AUKUS submarine in the late 2030s, and Australia would receive its first in the early 2040s. The vessels will be built by BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.
“The AUKUS agreement we confirm here in San Diego represents the biggest single investment in Australia’s defence capability in our history, strengthening Australia’s national security and stability in our region,” Mr Albanese said at the ceremony.
An Australian defence official said the project would cost $A368 billion ($F571 billion) by 2055.