Virginia Class submarine. 

30 July 2025

ALAN HAYES

 

THE United States will need to double its construction rate of attack submarines in order to meet its AUKUS commitments to Australia and the UK, US Navy Admiral Daryl Caudle has warned.

 

At the current rate of construction he was not sure the US could supply three Virginia-class nuclear submarines to Australia as required under Pillar 1 of the AUKUS agreement.

 

To meet its obligations, Navy officials have said the US industrial base must build 2.33 Virginia-class attack boats per year. It currently builds about 1.3 per year.

 

The AUKUS deal, signed in 2021, is currently under review by the US Department of Defense.

 

Yet amidst the uncertainty of ever receiving submarines, Australia continues to shovel billions of dollars into AUKUS.

 

On the back of the precariousness nature of AUKUS, our government has now signed off on a treaty with UK, whose top security officials have used the ongoing Exercise Talisman Sabre, which runs from July 13 to August 4, to declare AUKUS nuclear submarines and other military technology are the “bedrocks” of the country's relationship with Australia.

 

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey said that the UK will “always stand as the closest of allies” with Australia.

 

The comments came on the heels of the UK sending a carrier group to dock in Australia for the first time in decades, and days after Australia and the UK signed an agreement to press ahead with AUKUS for 50 years despite a US review into the deal.

 

Yet the devil is always in the detail! The treaty makes it clear that Australia is at the bottom rung of AUKUS, with the UK making all critical decisions on the design of the yet-to-be-built AUKUS nuclear submarines, and Australia once again funnelling money and little more.

 

The 50-year deal is largely a virtue signal to the US seeking the Trump administration’s support for the failing AUKUS deal.

 

The UK defence budget and industry are in disarray. Since 1972 the UK has made it clear it does not have a meaningful role in defence matters “East of Suez” and the decades since its economic and military reach has only diminished.

 

This deal also makes clear that Australia will be responsible for high, low and intermediate nuclear waste from UK submarines in Australia, with the limited exception of spent nuclear fuel. The deal will also see Australia “waive all claims for liability” on the transfer of AUKUS nuclear submarines.

 

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson on Defence and Foreign Affairs, said, “The Albanese Government has already committed to giving the UK a $5 billion down payment on AUKUS. Of course, the UK is committed to AUKUS; they have found a sucker in Australia.

 

“With this latest round of AUKUS the  Albanese Government is making it clear they would rather handcuff Australia to an erratic bully in the US and a dying empire in the UK than work with our neighbours to have a peaceful and stable region.

 

“Signing Australia up to a 50-year agreement with the UK like this is an expensive distraction for Australia’s defence and security planners.

 

"Think of the message being sent to our region as we invite the UK back, half a century after our neighbours finally saw them sail away.

 

“These decisions are seemingly being made on the fly and just highlight the urgent need for inquiry into the AUKUS to pull Australia back from this reckless and expensive nuclear folly.”

 

Read the full UK/Australia AUKUS Agreement here.

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