NUCLEAR SUBMARINES – AUSTRALIA

Turnbull slams secrecy over AUKUS demands

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 10-Dec-25

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated after the annual AUSMIN talks that his nation is seeking "practical, realistic" ways to improve AUKUS alliance. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Richard Marles says the federal government is still "working through" the Pentagon’s review of the alliance, which is believed to have recommended a number of changes. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull contends that Marles should reveal details of the changes that the US has requested before the government makes its next $US1bn AUKUS downpayment. Turnbull adds that there is still a real possibility that Australia will not receive any Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines.

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UNITED STATES. DEPT OF DEFENSE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Australia urged to give AUKUS sub commitments to US in event of war

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Original article by Stephen Dziedzic
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 26-Aug-25

US think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies has written a report on the AUKUS defence pact, which will see Australia get Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US. With the Trump administration currently reviewing the pact, the CSIS calls on Australia to give the US ‘concrete commitments’ on how it would deploy the submarines in the event of war, while it urges the Trump administration not to abandon the pact.

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CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Australia won’t receive AUKUS nuclear submarines unless US doubles shipbuilding, admiral warns

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Original article by Ben Doherty
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 29-Jul-25

The rate of construction of Virginia-class submarines is currently about 1.13 per year. This is well below the US Navy’s estimate that two of the nuclear-powered vessels will need to be built each year to meet its own needs, and 2.33 per year to supply vessels to Australia via the AUKUS alliance. US Admiral Daryl Caudle has told a Senate committee that a "100% improvement" in the shipbuilding rate will be necessary if the US is to sell any of the vessels to Australia. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says there is a "very, very high" chance that Australia will never buy a Virginia-class submarine; he has questioned the federal government’s lack of a ‘plan B’, given that AUKUS-class vessels will not enter service until the 2040s.

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UNITED STATES NAVY, UNITED STATES. SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

Australia can’t sue UK for dud subs

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Jul-25

Defence Minister Richard Marles and British counterpart John Healey recently signed a 50-year AUKUS treaty. The document was tabled in federal parliament on Monday, and many of its clauses heavily favour the UK. Amongst other things, Australia will not be able to sue the UK if there are defects in the design of the AUKUS-class nuclear-powered submarines or any equipment supplied by the UK; this includes the nuclear reactors that will be made in the UK and installed in the vessels to be built in Adelaide. In addition, although the two nations will jointly design the new vessels, Britain will approve the final design and will effectively be able to veto any Australian input into this.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, GREAT BRITAIN. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Australia should persist with AUKUS despite risk of US relationship ‘becoming unstuck’, former defence department secretary says

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Original article by Ben Doherty
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Apr-25

Dennis Richardson has told a Security and Sovereignty conference organised by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull that Australia should stick with the $368 billion AUKUS submarine deal. Richardson, who is a former secretary of both the defence and foreign affairs departments, says this is despite the US becoming a "less reliable and a more demanding ally" under Donald Trump’s second administration. He said that acquiring nuclear submarines was in Australia’s national interest, while Turnbull told the conference that Australia’s relationship with the US had been "irrevocably altered" by the new Trump administration.

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US on track to sell us Virginia-class subs

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 23-Oct-24

Democrats congressional representative Joe Courtney has downplayed suggestions that the US government may adopt an alternative model for the AUKUS alliance. Veteran naval analyst Ronald O’Rourke recently proposed a so-called ‘Plan B’, whereby the US would retain ownership of Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines rather than selling them to Australia. O’Rourke contended that this would allow the federal government to redirect billions of dollars to other defence programs. Courtney says he is not aware of any discussions in Congress regarding the O’Rourke plan, and he contends that the current AUKUS arrangement largely has bipartisan support.

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DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES)

AUKUS get-out clause for US, UK

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-Aug-24

Documents tabled in federal parliament on Monday have revealed new details of the AUKUS defence alliance. The documents, which include a revised AUKUS agreement, show that the US and the UK will be able to withdraw from the defence pact with only one years’ notice if the deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is deemed to be an ‘unreasonable risk’ to their own military requirements. Meanwhile, Australia has agreed to indemnify its alliance partners for any liability, costs or injury resulting from the AUKUS program. International law expert Don Rothwell notes that the documents do not outline just how much the alliance will cost Australia.

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Nuclear debate could undermine AUKUS

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 5 : 25-Jun-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese does not expect the nation’s current debate on nuclear energy to have any impact on bipartisan support for the AUKUS alliance. However, Peter Dean from the United States Studies Centre has emphasised the need for a factually informed, evidence-based discussion on the issue of nuclear power. He adds that the alliance is not based on Australia having a civil nuclear industry, and that the scale and size of the reactors in the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines is very different to a civil nuclear power industry. Professor Dean was the lead author of the federal government’s Defence Strategic Review.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE

US ‘hasn’t wavered’ on Australian nuclear subs

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Apr-24

US State Department official Bonnie Jenkins says the Biden administration remains committed to the AUKUS defence alliance, including the sale of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Jenkins has also responded to China’s concerns about the AUKUS pact by arguing that it is aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific region. She has emphasised that Australia will not be armed with nuclear weapons via the alliance, and the nation is permitted to have nuclear-powered submarines under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

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UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE

AUKUS subs construction delayed by years: US navy

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: Online : 4-Apr-24

The federal government’s deal to acquire US nuclear-powered submarines via the AUKUS alliance is under renewed scrutiny following revelations that the construction of Virginia-class vessels is 2-3 years behind schedule. An internal investigation by the US Navy has found that work on building every class of vessel is behind schedule at present, while deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell notes that the submarines program is continuing to be affected by supply-chain disruptions arising from the pandemic. Campbell has also downplayed concerns about the future of the AUKUS alliance if Donald Trump wins the presidential election.

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UNITED STATES NAVY