Australia considering buying first few nuclear submarines from the US instead of building them onshore

Australia would buy nuclear submarines from the United States by the middle of the next decade to give it more time to be able to build the boats onshore under a plan being considered by the Albanese government.

There has been growing concern that Australia will not be able to build nuclear-powered submarines until the 2040s,despite the previous government insisting it could do it by 2036 under theAUKUS defence pact with the US and Britain.

Australia plans to build nuclear-powered submarines like the American Virginia-class boats.

Australia plans to build nuclear-powered submarines like the American Virginia-class boats.Supplied

At a time when China is rapidly growing its military might,Australia would face a major capability gap if it doesn’t get the first nuclear submarine in the water by 2038,which is when the current Collins-class submarines will begin getting decommissioned.

The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that the Biden administration was exploring an arrangement to expedite Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by producing the first few in the US.

Western officials told the publication that the idea was to provide Australia with an initial nuclear-powered fleet by the mid-2030s while continuing the longer-term effort to help the country build up the industrial base to build nuclear submarines.

The move would come with political consequences,with workers in South Australia and the union movement likely to be unhappy with any move to build the first few submarines in the US.

Multiple Australian government sources insisted no decision had been made and all options were still on the table,including a small,stop-gap conventional fleet of submarines.

A spokesperson for Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government was “still doing the consultations to set out the optimal pathway for Australia to acquire the capability”.

“As the deputy prime minister has said,it is important to get the capability as soon as we can,” the spokesperson said.

Last week marked the 12-month anniversary of the landmark AUKUS agreement which resulted in Australiacontroversially scrapping a $90 billion submarine contract with France and instead vowing tobuild nuclear submarines with the help of the US and Britain.

The decision marked a major change in defence policy for Australia,whereby it decided to acquire a submarine capability that could project power far from home in areas like the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Traditionally,Australia’s submarines have been aimed only at defending its maritime approaches for which conventional boats are adequate.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined his American and British counterparts,Joe Biden and Liz Truss,on Saturday morning to press for the ongoing need to continue with the defence technology sharing agreement.

“The need for this partnership is as clear today as it was a year ago,” the three leaders said in a joint statement.

“We stand together to support an international order that respects human rights,the rule of law,and the peaceful resolution of disputes free from coercion. AUKUS is a central element in our efforts to achieve these aims.

“Over the last 12 months,we have made significant progress towards Australia acquiring conventionally armed,nuclear-powered submarines. We are steadfast in our commitment to Australia acquiring this capability at the earliest possible date.”

Albanese,Biden and Truss also said they remained committed to ensuring the “highest level of nuclear safety,security and stewardship in this endeavour”.

They said the three countries had also made significant strides in developing advanced capability in hypersonic missiles,electronic warfare capabilities,cyber,artificial intelligence,quantum technologies and undersea drones.

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Anthony Galloway is political correspondent for The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age.

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