Australia: Despite two US Senators warning that the agreement might bring America’s industrial foundation to a “breaking point,” Australian Prime Minister Mr. Anthony Albanese has brushed down worries about the AUKUS nuclear power submarine program.

In a letter that was leaked to the US website Breaking Defence Indo-Pacific on 21st December 2022, Democratic Senator Mr. Jack Reed and Republican Senator Mr. James Inhofe expressed their concern that the pact would endanger the country’s own fleet of submarines.

The senators cautioned President Mr. Joe Biden not to export any submarines until Australia develops its own, claiming that the AUKUS deal had become a  “zero-sum game for scarce, highly advanced US SSNs (nuclear sub).”

Australia will purchase eight nuclear-powered submarines from the US or the UK as part of the AUKUS agreement. It may take decades before Australia receives new submarines as the US struggles to meet its own needs while attempting to create its own fleet of 60 nuclear-powered submarines.

Mr. Albanese asserted that the contract is still on track and that aiding Australia in enhancing its defence capabilities is in the interests of the US at a press conference conducted in Geelong.

The government will announce whether it plans to buy nuclear-powered submarines from the UK or the US in the coming months, as per the report.

According to the statement, The timeline of the nuclear submarines is critical as Australia faces a capability gap with current conventionally powered Collins-class submarines set to retire before the arrival of the new technology deal with the UK and US.

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