Australia vows AUKUS nuclear-powered subs ‘going to happen’

In spite of growing concerns over prices, capabilities, and the potential return of Donald Trump, Australia reiterated on Friday that a historic agreement to create AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines with Washington and London was “going to happen”.

The three longstanding allies have committed to working together to strengthen their military might in an effort to thwart China’s ascent under the recently formed AUKUS agreement.

This week, defence commanders outlined bold plans to arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines-a crucial component of the accord.

“The three governments involved here are working at pace to make this happen,” Australian defence minister Richard Marles told reporters Friday.

“This is going to happen and we need it to happen,” he added.

AUKUS and its major initiative are barely two years old, yet there are already hints that they may be under threat.

Some fear that if Trump wins the presidential election this year, he would abandon the accord and return to his “America first” foreign policy.

With potential flashpoints growing throughout the world and China taking an increasingly confrontational position in the Taiwan Strait, visiting UK military minister Grant Shapps said AUKUS was more important than ever.

Dangerous times

After decades of relative peace, Shapps said the planet was slowly shifting from a “post-war” era to a “pre-war” footing.

“We are living in more dangerous times,” he said during a tour of the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.

UK defence contractor BAE Systems has been enlisted to help construct Australia’s fleet of nuclear-propelled submarines.

Australia hopes to have eight nuclear-powered vessels in the water by the 2050s — a mix of the new AUKUS-class subs built at home and in the UK, and Virgina-class vessels purchased from the United States.

Marles said a “drumbeat” of AUKUS-class submarines would then continue to roll off Australian production lines “every few years” in perpetuity.

“There is no country in the world which has obtained the capability to build nuclear-powered submarines, which has then turned that capability off,” he said.

“We will see submarines being produced here on an enduring basis.”

Potent threat

Although the financial details of the BAE deal are under wraps, Australian defence officials want to initially build at least five AUKUS-class nuclear-powered subs at a cost of billions of dollars.

The subs will be quieter and stealthier than Australia’s existing diesel fleet, and capable of deploying over vast distances without surfacing, posing a potent threat to any foe.

BAE Systems, one of the largest defence contractors in Europe, said it was “already making good progress on the design and development of the next generation submarine”.

The company has a close relationship with the UK navy, and is responsible for building its Astute-class and Dreadnought-class nuclear-powered vessels.

The scale of the project is vast, and questions have been raised about whether Australia — with limited nuclear experience and a relatively small navy — can pull it off.

Australian officials believe some 20,000 workers will be needed for the homegrown nuclear industry — among them an army of technicians, metal workers, electricians and welders.

The Australian navy has struggled to maintain its current fleet of ageing diesel-electric subs, which have been plagued by design flaws and cost blowouts.

In total, the AUKUS submarine project could cost up to Aus$368 billion (US$240 billion) over the next 30 years.