Australia and the United Kingdom sign a “historic” treaty on SSN-AUKUS nuclear submarines

Announced in September 2021, the Aukus pact aims, among other things, to endow the Australian navy [RAN – Royal Australian Navy] eight attack nuclear submarines [SNA]three of which must be provided by the United States [classe Virginia] Between 2032 and 2038. However, The other five-SSN-AUKUS type-will be built in industrial cooperation between Australia and the United Kingdom. Similarly,

Only. Similarly, nothing says, for the moment, that Australia will obtain the three Virginia type SNA promised due to the difficulties of American shipyards to satisfy the needs of the US Navy first. Moreover,

Even if Canberra has decided to give them a subsidy of $ 3 billion [une seconde tranche de 500 millions vient d’ailleurs d’être débloquée]The Pentagon recently said that it was australia united kingdom sign “historic” examining the implications of the Aukus Pact on the US Navy SNA fleet. Meanwhile, to check whether its objectives were well aligned on the “America First” program of President Trump.

However. Furthermore, having “broken” the “Shortfin Barracuda” contract which he had notified to the French naval group in favor of the Aukus pact, the Australian Ministry of Defense can hardly go back … Nevertheless, while the six submarines of the collins type currently implemented by the RAN. already that they are assigned by many problems, will not be able to be extended until 2040.

Be that as it may. Australia will be able to count on the unwavering support of the United Kingdom, as evidenced by the Treaty on the production of submarines that the two countries will sign, on July 26. “Our commitment to Australia is absolute,” said John Healey, the British Defense Minister.

Fortable to australia united kingdom sign “historic” be the most important ever since the creation of the Australian Commonwealth. in 1901, this treaty “will support submarine programs for 50 years, will create tens of thousands of jobs and should bring up to 20 billion pounds sterling [près de 23 milliards d’euros] In the United Kingdom over the next 25 years, “said the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This agreement. nicknamed “Geelong Treaty”, demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensure both security and prosperity, to preserve jobs throughout the United Kingdom and to stimulate our defense industry, with new exports of submarines amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds a year, “he insisted.

More specifically. this treaty opens the way to cooperation on “design, construction, exploitation, maintenance in operational condition until the dismantling of SSN-AUKUS submarines”.

According to Australian Minister of Defense. Richard Marles, the Geelong Treaty also relates to the formation of the Ran submariners by australia united kingdom sign “historic” the Royal Navy as well as the development of infrastructures of the Osborne shipyard in Adelaïde. Finally. it aims to create an “integrated industrial defense base between the United Kingdom and Australia”, allowing “Australian companies to provide equipment to Great Britain for the construction of submarines”.

However, Australia will have to get their hands on the wallet since it will have to pay around $ 4.6 billion to British industry for the design and production of nuclear boiler rooms for future SSN-AUKUS.

As for the examination led by the Pentagon. the Australian and British officials say serene, believing that it would even be an “opportunity to renew the commitment of the Trump administration” with regard to the Aukus Pact.

“We are really confident about the progress of the Aukus project. the progress made in the three countries,” said Marles. “The Aukus pact costs nothing more to the American australia united kingdom sign “historic” taxpayer. In reality, it is Australia and the United Kingdom that invest the most, ”brought its British counterpart. Except that the equation does not arise in these terms. the challenge for the Pentagon being to have the required number of SNA to possibly face a conflict in the Indopacific area.

In total, at least seventeen submarines of the SSN-AUKUS type should be built in the years to come. To the five expected by Australia will be added the twelve that plans to command the United Kingdom. in accordance with the recommendations of the strategic defense journal published in June.