Australia and the UK will ink a 50-year deal to underpin delivery of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement, amid concerns about a US review of the trilateral pact.
AUKUS, formed in 2021 between Australia, the UK and US to address shared concerns about China’s rising military ambition, is designed to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines in the 2040s.
But doubts have been raised about the future of the $368 billion program after the Trump administration this year initiated a review of the deal to examine if it met its “American First” criteria.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained confident about the future of US involvement on the eve of Australia and the UK signing a multi-decade bilateral deal cementing their commitment.
“It is a profoundly important treaty that we will sign,” Mr Marles said on Friday alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their British counterparts John Healey and David Lammy.
“It forms part of a trilateral agreement that we have and we are really confident about the progress of all three countries in bringing that to fruition.”
The treaty, to be signed in Geelong on Saturday, would allow “comprehensive co-operation” on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of AUKUS submarines, the ministers said in a joint statement.
It will also support development of personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program, the statement said.
Mr Lammy said the treaty showed the strength of Australia and the UK’s commitment to AUKUS.
“It’s clear that the UK-Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing,” he said.
Mr Healey said the UK was confident it could meet its obligations under the deal on industrial capacity to deliver SSN-AUKUS submarines.
“We have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will,” he said.
Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines.
Australia will acquire at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s.
On Sunday, the ministers will visit Darwin to observe joint military exercises known as Talisman Sabre, which comprise more than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries.
This year, the war games involve the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales – the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997.
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