Strategic cooperation: US provides nuclear submarines to Australia

US wants to deliver five nuclear submarines to Australia They aim to balance the Chinese structure in the region. In the long term, both countries want to develop a joint model with Great Britain.

Australia wants to buy five nuclear submarines from the United States and, in the long term, to work with the United States and Great Britain to develop a new generation of nuclear submarines.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego, California about “the largest single investment in Australia’s defense capability in our entire history”.

Biden said the US has guaranteed stability in the Indo-Pacific region for decades. A nuclear submarine alliance with Australia and Great Britain would “increase the prospect of peace for decades”. He emphasized: “These submarines are nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed.”

Handle part of the defense alliance

In particular, Australia wants to buy three nuclear-powered and conventionally armed Virginia-class submarines from the United States. A purchase option for two more submarines is also planned. US submarines to be delivered in 2030s

In addition, Australia, the United States and Great Britain want to jointly develop a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines. These are also nuclear powered, but conventionally armed. The project, based on the British submarine model, goes by the name SSN-Aukus. Great Britain is to deliver the first of these submarines to the British Navy in the late 2030s, while Australia is to deliver its first to the Australian Navy in the early 2040s.

America’s bowling infuriates France

The submarine deal is part of the Aukus Indo-Pacific Defense Alliance, established in September 2021 by Australia, Great Britain and the United States. With this agreement, the three countries want to counter China’s growing influence in the South Pacific. The region is increasingly a hotbed of competition between China and the United States. In a joint statement, Biden, the Albanese and Sunak coalition stressed their commitment to a “secure and stable” “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Beijing has been trying to establish a major military, political and economic presence in the South Pacific for some time. China has strongly criticized the Aukus alliance. The government in Beijing describes it as “dangerous” and an attempt to corner China.

Australia wants to modernize its navy with nuclear-powered submarines. The deal is particularly important for Australia as the country lacks the know-how to build nuclear powered submarines. Nuclear powered submarines can travel longer distances and are difficult for an enemy to detect. When Aukus was founded, Australia canceled a long-planned multibillion-dollar submarine deal with France. This caused outraged reactions from the French government and temporarily put a massive strain on relations between Paris and Washington.