The United States has agreed to sell Australia three operational Virginia-class nuclear submarines, changing the original plan that involved acquiring one new submarine and two already in service as part of the AUKUS submarine agreement worth billions.
Under the AUKUS framework, Australia aims to develop a fleet of advanced fast attack nuclear submarines in conjunction with its allies, the UK and US.
During the recent AUKUS Defense Ministers’ Meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, and British Defense Secretary John Healy unveiled updated plans for AUKUS acquisitions.
In a joint statement released thereafter, the officials noted, “The Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary welcomed the proposed approach to streamline Australia’s acquisition of Virginia-class submarines (VCS), simplifying supply chain management, operations and maintenance requirements, and maximizing cost efficiencies. This approach would enable Australia to acquire three in-service VCSs, instead of having to mix new VCSs with variants of in-service VCSs.”
Marles elaborated that adjusting plans was intended to facilitate smoother future operations for Australia’s submarine fleet.
Initially, Australia was set to extend the lifespan of its current conventional Collins-class submarines while managing used Virginia-class submarines, a new Virginia-class submarine, and an SSN-AUKUS submarine.
This would have meant Australia operating four different types of submarines at one time.
“It’s going to be quite complex in terms of how we operate our submarine fleet,” Marles remarked according to the meeting’s transcript.
First announced in September 2021, the AUKUS agreement is widely seen as a strategy to counter China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific and its activities in contentious regions like the South China Sea, as reported by BBC News.
China criticized the deal, labeling it “highly irresponsible” when it was unveiled.
The arrangement will enable the US and UK to station a limited number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western Australia, beginning in 2027.
