Australia to get #NuclearSubmarine technology from US & UK !

Australia to get #NuclearSubmarine technology from US & UK !

The Royal Australian Navy is poised to get a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new trilateral defense agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom. The United States, working in conjunction with the United Kingdom, will begin sharing the secrets of their nuclear propulsion technology with Australia.

While the focus will initially be to boost Australia’s submarine technology, there are other important things in the pipeline This could go down as one of the most crucial strategic development of recent times as China's hegemonic behavior has created a security challenge for other countries in the region.

In this Article Defense Updates analyzes how the US & UK have taken a major step to augment  the Australian Submarine fleet to counter China?

Let's get started.

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The backdrop is critical here and comes at a juncture when the relationship between Australia and China has seen major deterioration. It is interesting to note that relation was cordial but this changed since President Xi Jinping became the leader.

The situation became worse after Australia asked for a free and fair probe into Coronavirus origin and China retaliated with a higher tariff on Australian goods. Sometime back, in a speech to the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra, Morrison said his country “must face the reality that we have moved into a new and less benign strategic era.” A nuclear-powered submarine is considered to be a key asset for a nation. While conventional designs such as with AIP or air-independent propulsion systems have increased the time for which a submarine can remain underwater, they cannot match the unlimited range & endurance that nuclear propulsion provides.

Even the most advanced AIP vessels, such as ones that use fuel cell technology, have to surface from time to time, including to refuel. This exposes them to easy detection. Typically an AIP enabled vessel can only remain submerged continuously for 2-3 weeks. Nuclear-powered boats are generally faster and capable of staying submerged indefinitelyonly limited by food and other supply requirements. A fleet of the nuclear-powered submarine could threaten any Chinese naval fleet approaching Australian waters and if they possess land-attack capabilities they could be used to neutralize Chinese assets like missile launch sites. Ahead of an official joint announcement, Australia’s ABC News reported Australia had scrapped a $90 billion order for 12 French-designed submarines. The deal was with French shipbuilder Naval Group to build advanced conventionally-powered attack submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

It is clear that now Australia will go ahead with American and British technologies to build its next-generation submarines. Viewers may note that Australia had previously considered acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine type to replace its aging Collins-class diesel-electric boats. But several constraints like cost forced it to pursue an advanced conventionally-powered design instead.

In 2016, Naval Group, then known as DCNS, won the competition to replace Collin class submarines with its Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A. Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A is derived from the company's nuclear-powered Barracuda design which is developed for the French Navy. But cost increases and other issues have delayed progress on these submarines. President Biden said, “We all recognize the imperative to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term. We need to be able to address both the current strategic environment in the region and how it may evolve because the future of each of our nations and indeed the world depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific.” pointing to a long-term endeavor. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that the plan to deliver Australia a nuclear-powered submarine will be the first component of a renewed trilateral alliance, known as “AUKUS.”

which is short for Australia-United Kingdom-United States, indicating that it is just one of the areas of collaboration. Importantly the cooperation will also include long-range stand-off weapons, cyber warfare to name a few. The rise of China and its increasingly assertive behavior has been unnerving many nations in the region.

Even when all these countries have benefited massively from China’s economic rise and continue to do so, cumulatively they have also contributed to China’s relative growth and its military capabilities. If until recently China’s peaceful rise was a collective good for the countries like Australia which exported a lot of goods, it has now turned into a collective military and security hazard. No one now buys the peaceful rise of China argument anymore. There is a sense of urgency and vital moves are being made with the U.S playing a key role.

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India has also witnessed more meaningful progress. It remains to be seen how things move forward.