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Australia to Build a Fleet of Nuclear-Powered Submarines, the U.S. and U.K. Will Help

A new security partnership has been announced and it involves the United States, the U.K., and Australia. Its first initiative is to help the Royal Australian Navy develop future nuclear-powered submarines.
AUKUS agreement between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. 6 photos
Photo: Royal Australian Navy
AUKUS agreement between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.LR5 rescue vehicleRoyal Australian Navy HMAS Dechaineux submarineRoyal Australian Navy HMAS Dechaineux submarineRoyal Australian Navy HMAS Dechaineux submarine
AUKUS is an agreement between the leaders of the three countries meant to deepen defense and protect their common interests in the Indo-Pacific. As a first solution to make that happen, AUKUS will help Australia build a fleet of nuclear submarines to be deployed in the region, using the U.K.’s expertise in the field, as it has been building and operating such vessels for more than 60 years.

Although no one stated it out loud, this new trilateral partnership is seen as a measure to keep China under control, as it’s manifested an aggressive behavior in the Pacific lately and NATO declared this summer that China started to pose a strategic threat.

As stated by the British government, the three countries have been working together for over 70 years to promote security and protect their shared values and AUKUS is their way of recommitting themselves to that vision.

The initial research phase is estimated to take around one year and a half, during which AUKUS will analyze and determine what the best solutions are to achieve their goals. As stated by Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the submarines will be built in Adelaide, South Australia, with assistance from the other two partners, the U.K. and the U.S.

Although conventional submarines are useful too, mainly for defensive purposes, nuclear-powered ones are capable of reaching higher speeds and traveling for longer distances. While conventional submarines run on diesel engines and have batteries that keep them underwater and propel them, they are neither fast nor do they have long battery life. These new submarines, on the other hand, would be propelled by a nuclear-powered engine and could stay under forever or at least until the crew runs out of supplies.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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