Australia to buy as many as 5 nuclear submarines from US
Australia is expected to announce it will purchase as many as 5 United States Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines in the 2030s as part of a landmark Pacific security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, according to four US officials.
Under the so-called AUKUS agreement, at least one United States submarine will visit Australian ports in the next years and, by the late 2030s, a new class of submarines will be being built with UK designs and US technology, one of the officials told media.
Australian Premier Anthony Albanese is due to meet US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego on Monday to reveal AUKUS’s next steps.
The Pacific security pact first announced in September 2021 and which is also expected to include collaboration on hypersonic missiles, artificial intelligence and cyber warfare. is seen as an attempt to counter China's growing might and assertive positioning in the region, and has drawn condemnation from China.
Two of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that after the annual port visits, the US would deploy some submarines in Western Australia by about 2027.
In the early 2030s, Australia would purchase three Virginia-class submarines and have the option to buy two more. Nuclear submarines can stay underwater for longer than conventional ones and are harder to detect.
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