Jingdong Yuan, a professor at the China Studies Center at the University of Sydney, estimates to TIME that it may even take longer than the proposed 10-year timeline for Australia to finally have a functional fleet of these nuclear-powered submarines. plans to increase nuclear-powered submarine port visits to Australia later in the year, while American and British undersea craft will have “rotational presence” in Perth, Western Australia as early as 2027 to help train the local force. troops in boats and in bases for training and development. “It’s gonna be a hard slog.”Īs part of the AUKUS pact, Biden said that Australian military and civil personnel will embed with U.S. You’re almost doubling that with the Astute and you’re going over 100 with the Virginia class,” says Thayer. “Australia’s current Collins-class have less than 50 crew members on them. Navy, and can carry out intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance missions, as well as fire torpedoes and cruise missiles.īut Thayer warns that procuring these nuclear-powered submarines isn’t going to be a simple process-considering Australia’s lack of nuclear technicians, a solid nuclear and shipbuilding industry, defense infrastructure, and trained personnel to man these ships. Fast attack submarines can be equipped with multiple payloads, according to the U.S. Navy, set to replace the older Los Angeles-class submarine fleet. The Virginia-class is the latest fast attack submarine in the U.S. In the past decade, several Australian governments tried to find ways to modernize the fleet, before settling with the AUKUS pact. and the U.K.Īustralia currently deploys a fleet of six conventional Collins-class diesel-powered submarines commissioned between 19. ![]() Many observers believe procuring nuclear-powered submarines will be momentous for Australia’s military might.Ĭarl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales-Canberra, tells TIME the submarines are a “game-changer” for Australia by giving its military long-range striking ability and making it more interoperable with the fleets of the U.S. “For the first time ever, it will mean three fleets of submarines working together across both the Atlantic and Pacific, keeping our oceans free, open and prosperous for decades to come.” A naval game-changer-eventually Australia acquiring a fleet of these vessels has been the centerpiece of the AUKUS partnership since it was announced in 2021, with the country having ditched an earlier deal with France for diesel-powered undersea craft. Nuclear-powered submarines are considered superior because they can stay underwater longer currently only six countries have them.
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