Australia confirmed this Thursday that it will announce the details of the purchase of nuclear submarines, as part of the AUKUS security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, during a meeting of the leaders of the three countries on Monday, March 13 in the North American country.
At the meeting, which will take place in the US city of San Diego, “the optimal path by which Australia will acquire nuclear submarines” will be announced, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said Thursday in Parliament.
In this way, “an 18-month process will be concluded under the banner of AUKUS” (for the acronym in English of the three members), the security pact signed by Canberra, London and Washington in September 2022, which included the purchase of these nuclear-powered submersibles, as part of efforts to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
But neither Marles nor Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who is in India before traveling to the United States – have given details about this acquisition.
“I will make comments at the appropriate time,” Albanese said, while confirming that there will be an “announcement” with his American counterparts, Joe Biden, and British, Rishi Sunak.
Experts on the subject and various media have speculated about the manufacture of these submarines, which will make Australia the seventh country with the capacity to operate a nuclear-powered submarine, at a cost of around 100,000 million Australian dollars (65,880 million US dollars).
The Australian newspaper reported on Thursday that leaks from both sides of the Atlantic suggest Australia will buy both US and British-designed submarines.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper pointed out that Australia will first acquire five US Virginia-class nuclear submarines, and in the long term it will add submersibles based on a new British design, which – according to the Australian public broadcaster ABC – will be assembled in the oceanic country and will have with American technology.
The development of nuclear submarines in Australia involved the cancellation of a contract with the French shipping company Naval for the development of conventional submersibles worth 55,000 million euros, as well as tensions between Canberra and Paris and a payment of compensation of 555 million of euros.
Nuclear submarines are difficult to detect, can travel long distances for long periods of time, and would be armed with advanced cruise missiles.
That makes them a deterrent to potential enemies, experts say, allowing Australia to launch attacks or counter-attacks into enemy territory without warning.
Beijing has voiced strong opposition to the project, which it calls “dangerous” and designed to drive China into a corner.
(With information from EFE and AFP)