Australia wants to buy five nuclear submarines from US
The US, UK and Australia have strengthened their Indo-Pacific defense alliance and agreed a firm timeline for equipping Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
Maneuvers off the coast of Western Australia: A US Navy submarine sails alongside Royal Australian Navy submarines. (Archive)
Photo by imago
Australia plans to buy five nuclear submarines from the US and work with the US and UK to build new nuclear submarines. The plan is to buy three nuclear-powered and conventionally armed Virginia-class submarines, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday at the president’s Air Force One. A purchase option for two more submarines is planned.
According to US President Joe Biden’s top national security adviser, US submarines will be delivered in the 2030s. In addition, Australia, the United States and Great Britain want to jointly develop a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines. According to Sullivan, these should be nuclear-capable, but conventionally armed. The program operates under the name SSN-Aukus.
The announcement came ahead of a meeting between Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in San Diego, California. The three countries established the Indo-Pacific Security Alliance, Aukus, in September 2021 – a response to China’s growing dominance in the region.
A central element of this alliance is nuclear-powered submarines, with which Australia intends to modernize its fleet. The deal is particularly important for Australia as the country lacks the know-how to build nuclear powered submarines. Nuclear-powered submarines can travel long distances and are difficult for an enemy to detect.
France ignored it
When Aukus founded the company a year and a half ago, Australia had a long-planned billion-dollar project. Submarine deal with France fails. This caused furious reactions from the French government and temporarily put a massive strain on relations between Paris and Washington.
With the Aukus Agreement, the United States, Great Britain and Australia want to counter China’s increased influence in the South Pacific. The region is increasingly a hotbed of competition between China and the US. Beijing has been trying for some time to establish a major military, political and economic presence in the South Pacific.
China has strongly criticized the Aukus alliance. The government in Beijing describes it as “dangerous” and an attempt to corner China.
AFP
Did you find the mistake?Report now.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Web guru. Organizer. Food geek. Amateur tv fanatic. Coffee trailblazer. Alcohol junkie.”
More Stories
Hurricanes cause severe damage in the United States
Taylor Swift breaks Beatles record in UK
Jose Ramirez vs Rance Barthelemy