![]() “However, such a goal will take decades to achieve, and we cannot simply ignore contemporary realities in the meantime.” We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. “Make no mistake, we recognise the strategic value of having one of our closest allies operating a world-class nuclear navy could provide in managing long-term competition with an increasingly militaristic China. Selling or transferring Virginia-class submarines prior to meeting the US navy’s requirements would make it “less capable of meeting sovereign wartime and peacetime requirements”, they wrote. In December the US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, recommitted the Biden administration “to ensuring that Australia acquires this capability at the earliest possible date”.īut the two senators reportedly noted “just 1.2 Virginia-class have been delivered, on average, per year over the past five years”. The US aims to build its own fleet of at least 60 nuclear-powered submarines but is struggling to meet its own needs. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup “We urge you to adopt a ‘do no harm’ approach to Aukus negotiations and ensure that sovereign US national security capabilities will not be diminished as we work to build this strategic partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom over the coming decades.” “We are concerned that what was initially touted as a ‘do no harm’ opportunity to support Australia and the United Kingdom and build long-term competitive advantages for the US and its Pacific Allies, may be turning into a zero-sum game for scarce, highly advanced US. Loading.“We believe current conditions require a sober assessment of the facts to avoid stressing the US submarine industrial base to the breaking point,” they reportedly wrote. There are also questions still about the level of oversight from the IAEA and how verification and transparency around how Australia is meeting its nuclear non-proliferation obligations will work. Given we're already facing a worker shortage, increasing the demand for people could be a big ask. It is estimated the submarine project will support 20,000 jobs over the next 30 years and will require extensive training or upskilling of people. One of the biggest ones for Australia is how the federal government plans to find and train the skilled workers needed to build, operate and maintain the submarines. There's a few questions about the deal that will no doubt be answered and worked out in the coming years and decades. "That facility will be remote from populations and today we're announcing that will be on Defence land, current or future," Mr Marles said. ![]() However, he did flag that, by the 2050s, Australia would need to begin disposing of the nuclear reactors from some of the submarines and would need to have a facility established to do so safely. ![]() "We've set the highest standards with the IAEA for verification and transparency, and we will honour each of our country's international obligations," President Biden said.ĭefence Minister Richard Marles also confirmed that, in line with the treaty of Rarotonga, there would not be nuclear weapons aboard any of the SSN-AUKUS subs nor American submarines when they rotate through Australia. They may be second-hand and it will need the approval of the US Congress to happen. While we wait for them to be built, though, Australia's federal government has struck a deal to take three Virginia-class submarines from the US early next decade. Those submarines will be based on a British design but have American technology or an American combat system. In total, Australia will end up with eight of the new nuclear submarines, called SSN-AUKUS. The second AUKUS pillar will involve enhancing our defence capabilities with the help of the UK and US more broadly. The first, and so far the biggest, aspect of the pact is the submarine deal which is also called Pillar One.īoth of the UK and the US - which have nuclear-powered submarines - agreed to work with Australia and share plans for their subs so we could build our own. Before we dive into the actual deal, it might be helpful to do a quick recap.ĪUKUS is the name for the security deal Australia, the UK and the US (A-UK-US) agreed to at the end of 2021. ![]()
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