Australia Launches First Investment in Nuclear Submarine Shipyard
The Australian government officially announced on Sunday, February 15, that it would allocate funds to start the first phase of investment in a new nuclear-powered submarine shipyard under the AUKUS trilateral security partnership framework. According to AFP, this move marks a key step for the country in enhancing its defense capabilities. The AUKUS agreement was signed by Washington in 2021 with Britain and Australia, with the core objective of containing China's growing influence in the Pacific region. It is also worth noting that the agreement directly led Canberra to unilaterally cancel a major conventional submarine contract it had previously signed with France.
Prime Minister Albanese stated in a statement that the initial investment disclosed was 3.9 billion Australian dollars (approximately 2.4 billion euros), emphasizing that this funding was crucial for providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines equipped with conventional weapons. In the long term, the total investment in the new shipyard, located in Osborne near Adelaide, South Australia, is expected to reach 30 billion Australian dollars (approximately 18 billion euros). Over the next 30 years, the total cost of the entire project, including submarine procurement and maintenance, is expected to amount to nearly 200 billion euros.
According to the current plan, the agreement will be implemented in phases. The first phase is expected to begin in 2032, with the United States supplying 3 to 5 "Virginia-class" nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Subsequently, from 2040 onwards, the UK and Australia will collaborate to build a new stealthy nuclear-powered submarine called "SSN-AUKUS." Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles praised the progress of the transformation at the Osborne shipyard, stating that it demonstrated Australia's commitment to establishing its own "sovereign capability" to manufacture nuclear-powered submarines in the coming decades.
In terms of industrial collaboration, the SSN-AUKUS-class submarines will be built jointly by British Aerospace Systems (BAE Systems) and the Australian state-owned company ASC. The first batch of submarines will be assembled in the UK, while subsequent construction work will be transferred to Adelaide, South Australia. Additionally, Canberra has already invested 12 billion Australian dollars in the past September to renovate the Henderson shipyard in Western Australia to ensure it has the technical capacity to maintain nuclear-powered submarines.
Although the plan has encountered setbacks during its implementation, particularly when the Trump administration expressed concerns about the delivery capacity of American shipyards, Washington ultimately confirmed its firm commitment to the AUKUS alliance last December. Procuring these new submarines is a core strategy for Australia to enhance its long-range strike capabilities in the Pacific region, against the backdrop of China's continued strengthening of its influence in the area.
However, this process has always been shadowed by diplomatic rifts with France. When the agreement was announced in 2021, Paris angrily described it as a "backstab." Earlier in 2016, France and Australia had signed a contract for 12 conventional submarines, which were also planned to be built in Adelaide. Compared to the massive nuclear submarine plan today, the canceled contract with the French Naval Group (Naval Group) cost only a quarter of the current amount.
As highlighted in a recent report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS), Australia's "Virginia-class" or future "SSN-AUKUS" submarines will become the second "alliance decision center" in the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857269369454592/
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