If all goes according to reports that are circulating today, next week, President Joe Biden will travel to San Diego to highlight a deal to sell Australia up to five Virginia-class cruise missile fast-attack submarines. Biden will also reportedly meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss AUKUS, which will deal with the security of the Asia Pacific region and on Australia’s plans to acquire the nuclear-powered submarines.
The landmark defense agreement between Washington, Canberra, and London is meant to address the growing threat of China in the region. Under the AUKUS pact, at least one U.S. submarine will visit Australian ports in the coming years and will rotate a number of boats through Perth in Western Australia.
By the late 2030s a new class of nuclear-powered subs will be built with British designs and American technology, Reuters first reported on Wednesday.
The AUKUS pact also calls for long-term efforts for greater cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, cyber warfare, and missiles. The technology-sharing and interoperability will go much further than what the three countries have done previously.
AUKUS is expected to be Australia’s largest-ever defense project, while it also offers the prospect of jobs for all three nations.
Virginia-Class: Five Boats Heading to Australia
Australia will also buy up to five Virginia-class submarines, which will be constructed in the United States. Current plans call for Australia to purchase three subs with an option to buy two more. The United Kingdom will then take the lead on the next-generational submarines.
The rotation and purchase of U.S.-made submarines will help cover any potential gap in Australia’s undersea capabilities as its six Collins-class diesel boats age out of service. Their service life has already been extended to 2036.
However, there could be a number of hurdles to clear – namely that Australia only operates one small nuclear reactor, while its sole university program dedicated to nuclear engineering produces just five graduates yearly, The New York Times reported. The arrangement could require a level of expertise that Australia isn’t likely to develop over the next decade, and as a result, the Royal Australian Navy may need to depend heavily on the United States Navy for support.
Each Virginia-class submarine requires a crew of 132, including 15 officers. It is likely that even if the subs are commanded by Australian officers, many if not most of the crew may have to be American.
“We’ll have to have dual national crews,” John Blaxland, an international security expert at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University told the paper of record. “We’re going to need an unprecedented level of close, trusted collaboration to make this work — at the political, operational and worker-bee level.”
Rising Tensions?
Though the goal of AUKUS is meant to be one of deterrence, some experts have warned that it could have the opposite effect. China will likely view the AUKUS weapons arrangement as a provocative move.
In addition, some of Australia’s neighbors have expressed concerns that the future boats would need to travel near their territorial waters.
Both Malaysia and Indonesia have already called into question the safety issues with the transportation and use of highly enriched uranium and the risk of it being diverted to weapons programs.
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Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
