![]() But until 2033 or so, Australia will be protected in large part by US Navy and Royal Navy nuclear submarines patrolling out of the RAN’s Cockburn Sound base near Perth. The deal developed by the RAN’s vice-admiral Jonathan Mead and his project team, and accepted by the Albanese cabinet, is like a boy given carte blanche in a toy shop: we’ll have three to five of the US-model Virginia-class subs then eight or more of the British follow-on to the existing Astute-class, to be built in Adelaide.Īlbanese insists that Australian “sovereignty” will be paramount. The navy has a wait of a decade or more before the first nuclear-powered submarine is handed over. “The Australian government continues to work closely and constructively with the United States to deliver nuclear-powered submarines through the Aukus agreement,” the spokesperson said.This week’s tri-nation announcement by Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese kicks the Royal Australian Navy’s acquisition of the subs far into the future. “It’ll come down to the political willingness of the three countries.”Ī spokesperson for defence minister, Richard Marles, said questions about the US shipyards were for the US to answer. Jennings said the US had set a precedent in stepping up production of missiles and munitions to run 24 hours a day to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion, and to boost its own stocks.Ī US shipyard could do the same, he said. “But I’m not underestimating that it’s a really big thing to do.” If Aukus works, that’s what it will address, that bottleneck in the American system. “I see that really as a risk reduction strategy. ![]() “We have to be optimistic that it will change, but the big benefit of Aukus is the pooling of three industrial capabilities,” he said. ![]() We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. Those delays are also contributing to cost increases, so the navy will request more funds to complete construction.ĭefence analyst Peter Jennings, the director of Strategic Analysis Australia, said the GAO report “crystallises a problem we’ve known about for a very long time”, but that Aukus could be the solution to that problem. They also said they are outsourcing some work due to the “workforce constraints and the limited physical capacity of some facilities”. Program officials told the GAO a new “more realistic schedule” was being created to deal with a workforce that was, as of September 2022, 25% below needs. The Aukus submarine will be based on the UK design, incorporating US submarine technology.Īt least the first two Virginia class submarines bound for Australia will be secondhand, likely from blocks III or IV, but delays on future builds will make it harder for the US to give up any submarines.Įven before this latest report, experts were warning the US program was too tightly squeezed trying to provide its own fleet to spare any for Australia. The purchase is intended to close a looming capability gap after Australia’s existing Collins class submarines are retired, and before the first nuclear-powered submarine – SSN-Aukus – is delivered in the early 2040s. That deal will rely on the approval of US congress. Under the Aukus plan, Australia will buy three Virginia class submarines from “as soon as” the early 2030s, with an option to buy two more. ![]() “The delays are due to problems meeting original staffing and work efficiency estimates.” “The program now estimates construction of each Block V submarine will take an average of over two years longer than reported last year,” the GAO report said.
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