The Australian government has announced a new nuclear submarine that will cost $368 billion over the next three decades following the AUKUS meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The resolution, which is part of the AUKUS agreement between the three nations, will see the federal government purchase at least three nuclear submarines and contribute to US naval capabilities.
This allows Australia to keep the three Virginia-class submarines safely, probably second-hand, for the next decade. But this still needs to be approved by the US Congress, and Australian librarians are not in favor of the Albanians in office at the time.
The Australian government will also have the option to acquire two additional submarines under the AUKUS defense and security agreement.
In addition, work will continue on the development of a new submarine known as SSN-AUKUS, which will use the work already done in the UK to eventually replace the submarine fleet.
The AUKUS submarines will be trained by Australia and the UK and will use US combat systems. One submarine will be built every two years, starting in the early 2040s until the late 2050s. Four US submarines and one British submarine are expected to begin patrolling Western Australia from 2027.
Eventually, the Royal Australian Navy will deliver five SSN-AUKUS submarines by the mid-2050s.
At an estimated cost of $368bn, the fleet would eventually include eight Australian-built Adelaide submarines, while the federal government leaves the option of using British shipyards in the event of a change of circumstances.
It is estimated that around $8 billion will be used to upgrade the HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia. As it is likely to be located on the east coast of the submarine base, Port Kembla is considered the most likely option, although a decision on that is yet to be confirmed.
US President Joe Biden said this “increases stability” and will “provide peace and stability for decades to come”.
Meanwhile, the Albanian prime minister said he was “proud to confirm that they are all in the top 30% of their fleet” with Australian submarines.
Regarding the US-UK-Australia partnership, British Prime Minister Sunak said: “Our sailors will train their submarines together, sail together and protect their ships together.”
