“There are always considerable challenges in designing submarines from scratch, especially if you are combining technology from different nations and potentially manufacturing across multiple locations. Justin Burke, a visiting fellow at Australia’s Lowy Institute think tank, said the aim was for a straightforward and cost-effective plan to supply submarines and starting with an existing design like the Virginia Class was “a very plausible way forward.” “We have never operated a military capability at this level before.” “It is difficult to overstate the step that as a nation we are about to take,” said Marles. General Dynamics Corp, which makes Virginia class submarines, has 17 of them in its current backlog delivering through 2032.Īustralia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday the submarines would ensure peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. It is unclear how AUKUS might affect the U.S. “Undersea drones, swarming drones, ubiquitous surveillance, advanced AI and data analytics are all in this potential wheelhouse but ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) prevents the types of cooperation that is needed,” said Greenwalt, referring to U.S. British and Australian officials said last week there was still work needed to break down bureaucratic barriers to such technology sharing.īill Greenwalt, a former senior Pentagon official for industrial policy, said that since it will be years before the Australia has new submarines, the partners urgently need to move forward with this second stage, which covers capabilities that could be deployed within the next few years and are needed quickly given the growing threat posed by China. In a second stage of the AUKUS project, the three countries will share advanced technology such as artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons. Currently no party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty other than the five countries the NPT recognizes as weapons states – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – has nuclear submarines. It will be the first time the United States has shared nuclear-propulsion technology since it did so with Britain in the 1950s. Under the initial AUKUS deal announced in 2021, the United States and Britain agreed to provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. The officials did not elaborate on the planned new class of submarines, including where they would be built, but Australia’s ambassador to Washington said last week there would be a “genuine trilateral solution” and the plan offers the prospect of jobs in all three countries. Article contentĬhina has condemned the effort by the Western allies, who are seeking to counter its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and increasingly muscular deployments in the contested South China Sea. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.
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