US government officials commented in advance on the multi-stage timeline for the three-country project. The first phase is already underway and will be intensified in the coming years, it said. This included joint exercises and the training of Australian seafarers, engineers, technicians and other personnel. US and UK submarines would call more at ports in Australia. Australian sailors, in turn, would be tied into US and UK submarine units. From 2027, the stationing of rotating units of U.S. and British submarines in Australia is planned.
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The second phase will begin in the early 2030s. Once Australians are properly trained, the country will buy three conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines from the US, with the option to purchase two more if needed. In the long term, a new submarine model is to be built that combines American, British and Australian technology. This is said to be built initially in the UK from the late 2030s. At the beginning of the 2040s, the first model of this type to be manufactured in Australia should also be ready.