by Staff Writer
The Australian Government is scuttling a $90 billion program to build 12 French-designed submarines. Conversely this in favour of using UK and US technology. It is to build nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide. Fundamentally, it will be part of the newly formed AUKUS Partnership.
For the first time in over 60 years, the US will share submarine nuclear technology with another country. Crucially, it will be under a new trilateral security partnership. Between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Fittingly known as AUKUS.
“The first major initiative of AUKUS will be to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia.” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday.
THE PM
The Australian PM stressed the submarines would be nuclear powered, not nuclear-armed. Importantly, Mr Morrison said Australia was not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Moreover, nor is Australia seeking to establish a civil nuclear-capable capability. However, Thursday’s announcement is seen as a robust response. A response to the growing Chinese military threat in the Indo Pacific region.
The trilateral partnership will spend the next 18 months mapping out the specific details of the program and the timeline.
THE WHITE HOUSE
“We will leverage expertise from the United States and the United Kingdom, building on the two countries’ submarine programs. To bring an Australian capability into service at the earliest achievable date.” reads a statement issued by The White House.
“The development of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines would be a joint endeavour. Between the three nations. With a focus on interoperability, commonality, and mutual benefit.”
It has already been tagged ANZUS 2.0. Hugh White, Professor of Strategic Studies at the ANU’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, calls the announcement a big deal. Additionally, he also says it is full of risks. But notably, he adds it is a change in the way Australia plans to deal with security. Especially in the Indo Pacific region.
“Australia set about trying to build a new class of submarine. We made a contract with the French. That contract became dysfunctional, to put it mildly. The Government got itself into a position where it couldn’t in all conscience go ahead with the French project.
“So, they (Australia) have been looking at nuclear propulsion alternatives. There are big advantages to nuclear propulsion for submarines. But there are also huge disadvantages. It is a very big deal. Australia will be the only non-nuclear armed country in the world to operate nuclear powered submarines.”
THE FRENCH
Former Navy submariner and Independent Senator Rex Patrick says there are pros and cons of buying nuclear-powered submarines. He says the absence of any nuclear industry in Australia could prove problematic. That is in the day-to-day running of nuclear-powered submarines.
In June, French President said Emmanuel Macron said France remained fully committed to the deal. But Senator Patrick agrees walking away from the existing French Naval Group contract would save a lot of money.
“That program is plagued by problems in terms of schedules. We’ve seen the cost jump from $50 billion to $90 billion. Almost unbelievably costly in the context of what other countries pay for submarines.”
The Senator said the Australian Government needs to respond to growing Chinese aggression in the region. He says any response has to be multilateral.
“Combining together with the UK and US, I think that is a good response.”
In a statement, France’s Naval Group said it was disappointed. That is, at the decision to cancel the existing submarine contract. “The Commonwealth of Australia did not want to go to the next phase of the programme. Which is a great disappointment for Naval Group”.
APSM is part of MySecurity Media.
