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The U.S. and the U.K. are working on a deal to provide nuclear powered submarines to Australia through the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) enhanced security partnership. The leaders of Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. recently outlined the phased approach for the AUKUS project.
The phases in the AUKUS plan were announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the U.K. and President Joe Biden of the U.S. It marks the next stage for the trilateral partnership which was launched in September of 2021.
The leaders of three nations issued a joint statement which read, “This plan is designed to support Australia's development of the infrastructure, technical capabilities, industry and human capital necessary to produce, maintain, operate, and steward a sovereign fleet of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. Australia is fully committed to responsible stewardship of naval nuclear propulsion technology. We continue to consult with the International Atomic Energy Agency to develop a non-proliferation approach that sets the strongest precedent for the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine capability.”
The joint statement went on to say that the project
“elevates all three nations' industrial capacity to produce and sustain interoperable nuclear-powered submarines for decades to come, expands our individual and collective undersea presence in the Indo-Pacific, and contributes to global security and stability.”
The goal of the phases approach is to provide Australia with a conventionally-armed, nuclear powered submarines capability. Ultimately, Australia will have a new fleet of submarines built by the U.K. and Australia based on the U.K. nuclear-powered submarine design.
The first phase of the AUKUS project starts this year. Australian military and civilization personnel will “embed” within the U.K. and U.S. navies and their submarine industrial bases. This is intended to accelerated training and development of Australian personnel. Australian sailors will join U.S. crews for training and development. A rotational presence of U.K. and U.S. nuclear submarines will be established in Western Australia from as early as 2027 to accelerate the development of the necessary personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory system.
The next phase is subject to approval by the U.S. Congress. This phase sees Australia buying three to five Virginia-Class submarines. This purchase will begin to grow its sovereign submarine capability and support capacity.
The first generation of AUKUS nuclear submarines are to be based on the U.K.’s submarine design incorporating U.S. submarine technology. The first U.K. submarines built to this design will be delivered in the late 2030s. They will replace the current Astute-Class vessels. Construction will principally be taking place at Barrow-in-Furness. Australia will work over the next decade to build up its submarine industrial base. It will build its new submarines in South Australia. Some components will be manufactured in the U.K. The first Australian-built submarines under the AUKUS project will be delivered in 2040.
The Australia government described the AUKUS submarine program as the “the most transformative industrial endeavor in Australian history.” It will create about twenty thousand direct jobs over the next thirty years across the country’s industry, defense, and public services sectors.
Australia has the world’s largest known uranium reserves. It is the world’s third-ranking producer of the metal, behind Kazakhstan and Canada. However, Australia does not use nuclear power for electricity generation. It is already working to develop the skills it will need for the AUKUS project.
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