Defence News

Aust acquires nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS pact

Eliza Sayon Mar 14, 2023

2 min read

Australia will be acquiring nuclear-powered submarines in the latest AUKUS agreement, marking it as the single biggest investment in the country’s defence capability.

The latest agreement will have Australia receive the submarines to further strengthen its national security, as well as contribute to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“These enhanced defence capabilities will make Australia and our partners better able to deter conflict and help ensure stability and strategic balance are maintained in the Indo-Pacific,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

Check out: EU open to help plug Australia’s capability gaps

Aside from delivering a superior capability, the agreement will bring record investments in defence, skills, jobs and infrastructure as South Australia will become the home of nuclear-powered submarine construction.

Australia, with the help of the UK, will deliver SSN-AUKUS, a new conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine. Based on a UK design, the submarine will be incorporated with cutting-edge Australian, UK and US technologies.

“We expect the phased approach will result in $6 billion invested in Australia’s industrial capability and workforce over the next four years, creating around 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“This whole of nation effort also presents a whole of nation opportunity; for new jobs, new industries, and new expertise in science, technology, and cyber.”

Check out: Australia needs to focus on boosting defence innovation

While over $3 billion worth of investment is expected to be poured into South Australia and Western Australia for the construction of the submarines, some have raised concerns regarding the agreement.

A statement from the Australian Academy of Science highlights that building capability in nuclear science will be central to achieving the aims of developing a nuclear-powered submarine capability.

“Nuclear science in Australia faces a skills crisis. We are significantly behind our peer nations in national nuclear and radiation science capability,” Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC PresAA FREng FTSE, President of the Australian Academy of Science said.

“Australia is overly dependent on overseas trained workforce and lacks the capacity to train new nuclear scientists to meet our existing needs.”

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s nuclear analyst Dave Sweeney also states that the deal introduces new and significant safety risks that Australia has never had to deal with before.

“There are risks of possible future accidents in our ports and waters, especially given nuclear regulator ARPANSA’s assessment that emergency management arrangements in Australia ‘are not fit for purpose for a future with nuclear powered submarines’,” he said.

“Australia would be the only nation without nuclear weapons but with nuclear submarines. It may embolden other nations to go down this path, increasing global nuclear risks.”

Check out: Australia enters nuclear-powered submarine deal with UK & US

Under AUKUS, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will have a phased approach to deliver significant and long-term strategic commitments that will benefit all three countries.

This will include the commitment to cooperate on building artificial intelligence capabilities, hypersonic weapons and other advanced technologies.

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.