United States and United Kingdom – Politics

Australia signed an agreement on Monday, within the framework of the “AUKUS” charter, with the United States and the United Kingdom, allowing the exchange of information and equipment in the field of naval nuclear propulsion between them, and under which Australia will be supplied with nuclear submarines.
In response to this, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said: “This agreement represents an important step towards Australia owning conventional nuclear-powered submarines.”
He explained that his country is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
He added: “Submarines give our naval plans a strategic advantage in terms of surveillance and protection.”
Australia currently has a fleet of aging diesel-electric submarines, but they suffer from design flaws. This new type of submarine will provide greater stealth and self-movement capabilities compared to conventional submarines.
The agreement comes within the framework of the AUKUS Charter with Washington and London, which came into effect in September 2021, and stipulates that Australia will be provided with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines starting in 2040.

This charter was signed between the three countries, with the aim of containing Chinese influence in the South Pacific region.

The US State Department had previously announced that the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom had signed a cooperation agreement related to naval nuclear propulsion between the three countries, after the leaders of the AUKUS group announced in March 2023 an ambitious plan to support Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine capabilities as soon as possible, while ensuring Canberra’s ability to safely operate, maintain and regulate this technology.

According to the US State Department statement, the agreement will allow AUKUS partners to continue exchanging information related to naval nuclear propulsion for submarines, and will allow the United States and the United Kingdom to transfer materials and equipment to Australia necessary for the safe construction, operation and maintenance of conventionally armed nuclear submarines.

It is worth noting that AUKUS is a trilateral security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.