UNITED STATES/AUSTRALIA: The federal government has confirmed that it will buy at least three submarines manufactured in America and will provide “significant additional resources” to US shipyards. The entire cost of the program would be up to $368 billion in the next thirty years, with $8 billion going to improve the naval base HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
At the start of the next decade, the Australian government will take three second-hand Virginia-class submarines after the US Congress approves. San Diego announced this morning that another two submarines could be bought under the AUKUS defense and security pact.
The new submarine SSN-AUKUS will undergo a series of developments and improvisations that will be under the AUKUS class and will be controlled by both the UK and Australia by implementing American combat systems.
Starting from the early 2040s, at least one submarine will be made every two years until late 2050, with five of the SSN-AUKUS submarines being sent to the Australian Navy sometime in the middle of 2050.
The east coast base for the submarines is yet to be decided, with Port Kembla as the most probable location. Joe Biden, the US President, mentioned that he is glad to see the alliance’s strength in this respect. He says, “Today, as we stand at the inflection point in history, where the hard work of announcing deterrence and enhancing stability is going to reflect peace and stability for decades to come, the United States can ask for no better partners in the Indo-Pacific, where so much of our shared future will be written.”
“As we speak, the nuclear-powered sub, is making a port call in Perth and later this year, there will be a rotational presence of nuclear-powered subs in Australia to help develop the workforce it will need to build,” he added.
Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, mentioned that the country’s submarines were receiving nuclear power training in the US already. He added, “This will be an Australian sovereign capability, commanded by the Royal Australian Navy and sustained by Australians in Australian shipyards, with construction to begin within this decade.”
British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said that this is indeed a “powerful partnership,” adding that “the Royal Navy will operate the same submarines as the Australian Navy and we’ll both share components and parts with the US Navy.”
