What to know about the military submarine project launched by the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom

It is indeed the concretization by Washington, London and Canberra of the alliance baptized Aukus which ended 18 months ago with the cancellation of the contract for the purchase by Australia of 12 French submarines, which which had sparked a diplomatic crisis with Paris crying treason. Note, moreover, that “Aukus” is the acronym for Australia, United Kingdom and United States.

>> Defense: Australia, United States and United Kingdom join forces for a new generation of submarines

The program unveiled by Joe Biden will take place in three stages. Australia, which does not yet have nuclear-powered submarines – or nuclear technology, whether military or civilian – will train its engineers, technicians and submariners by integrating American and British crews. The objective is to deploy from 2027 four American submarines and one British for training on the base of Perth, in Western Australia. It is then that Australia will buy three American submarines with an option on two additional submersibles. The machines must be delivered from 2030. Finally, the third phase – the most ambitious of the program – the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia will join forces to manufacture together a new generation of attack submarines.

Significant industrial effort

In addition to the submarines, it will be necessary to build the armament which accompanies them. For the moment, no details have been communicated concerning the amount of investment in each country or the distribution of the costs, except that Australia hopes to create 20,000 jobs. We are indeed there facing a large-scale Anglo-Saxon industrial and military alliance. The objective is not to go to war, but to deter any conflict.

This alliance is concluded in the context of growing geopolitical tensions in the world. With the support of the British and Australia, the Americans are strengthening their supremacy in the region against a backdrop of fierce economic and strategic rivalry between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific zone.