In a joint statement, AUKUS defence ministers tried to swat aside concerns that the project is dead before it hits the water.
“Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States remain fully committed to this shared endeavour,” said US defence chief Lloyd Austin, UK defence secretary Grant Shapps, and Australian defence minister Richard Marles.
“These steps to grow Australia’s submarine construction and maintenance capability are critical to the AUKUS partnership.”
BAE Systems already has a close relationship with the UK navy and is responsible for building its Astute-class and Dreadnought-class nuclear-powered vessels.
It will also develop SNN-AUKUS class submarines for the UK’s Royal Navy and a Rolls Royce plant in the UK will produce the nuclear reactors that are eventually installed in both the UK’s and Australia’s submarines.
Earlier on Thursday, UK and Australian defence ministers inked a new defence agreement in Canberra.
The agreement stops short of a full mutual defence pact, which would bind one side to intervene if the other was attacked.
But it does include a “commitment to consult” about emerging threats and establishes a “status of forces agreement”, which makes it easier to host soldiers from the other nation.
The “status of forces” agreement makes it easier for Australian sailors to train on the UK’s nuclear subs, and for British crew to be based in Australia.
Source: CNA
