US, Allies Prepare Mega Submarine Deal Under Aukus Agreement
- Nuclear-powered sub plan meant to counter China in Pacific
- Australia might not get newest submarines until 2040s
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The leaders of the US, Australia and the UK will announce plans for a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines Monday as they deepen the Aukus defense partnership aimed at countering China in the Pacific. Upgrading Australia’s aging sub fleet is a lynchpin of that effort.
Yet Australia may not get its first submarine for at least 10 years, and even then the deal is fraught with potential delays and uncertainty. It calls for Australia to get a new type of submarine jointly built with the UK that doesn’t yet exist. In the meantime, the US would offer its Virginia-class submarine, whose production has been plagued by billions of dollars of cost overruns.