WASHINGTON: Australia will buy US-made nuclear-powered attack submarines to upgrade its fleet, a European official and person familiar with the matter said on Thursday, amid growing concerns over China’s influence in the Indo region. -peaceful.
The deal to purchase the Virginia-class submarines will be announced on Monday when President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak head to San Diego for talks on the 18-month-old nuclear partnership known by the acronym AUKUS. People spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue ahead of the announcement.
The AUKUS agreement, announced in 2021, paved the way for Australia to access nuclear powered submarineswhich are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered boats.
“We all recognize the imperative to ensure long-term peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Biden said in September 2021 when announcing the partnership. “We need to be able to address both the current strategic environment in the region and its evolution.”
The secretly brokered deal included the Australian government’s cancellation of a $66 billion contract for a fleet of French-built conventional submarines, sparking a diplomatic row within the Western alliance that has took months to repair.
The European official said France had been informed of the terms of the purchase agreement. Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, the White House said, adding that they “discussed cooperation between the United States and France in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The submarines, which cost $3 billion each, are built at shipbuilding factories in Virginia and Connecticut. Under the terms of the deal, submarines would eventually also be built in the UK and Australia with US technology and support, the person familiar with the matter said. Initial plans called for all submarines to be built in Adelaide, Australia.
The United States would also step up port visits to Australia to further familiarize the country with nuclear technology.
The White House declined to comment on the purchase of the submarine before the meeting scheduled for Monday. (AP)
The deal to purchase the Virginia-class submarines will be announced on Monday when President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak head to San Diego for talks on the 18-month-old nuclear partnership known by the acronym AUKUS. People spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue ahead of the announcement.
The AUKUS agreement, announced in 2021, paved the way for Australia to access nuclear powered submarineswhich are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered boats.
“We all recognize the imperative to ensure long-term peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Biden said in September 2021 when announcing the partnership. “We need to be able to address both the current strategic environment in the region and its evolution.”
The secretly brokered deal included the Australian government’s cancellation of a $66 billion contract for a fleet of French-built conventional submarines, sparking a diplomatic row within the Western alliance that has took months to repair.
The European official said France had been informed of the terms of the purchase agreement. Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, the White House said, adding that they “discussed cooperation between the United States and France in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The submarines, which cost $3 billion each, are built at shipbuilding factories in Virginia and Connecticut. Under the terms of the deal, submarines would eventually also be built in the UK and Australia with US technology and support, the person familiar with the matter said. Initial plans called for all submarines to be built in Adelaide, Australia.
The United States would also step up port visits to Australia to further familiarize the country with nuclear technology.
The White House declined to comment on the purchase of the submarine before the meeting scheduled for Monday. (AP)
