On July 26, Australia and the United Kingdom signed an important 50-year agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in the construction of nuclear submarines. This information was confirmed by the Reuters agency.
The AUKUS pact, concluded in 2021 between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, provides that Australia will receive nuclear attack submarines as early as the next decade. This decision was a response to China’s growing ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. This year, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced an official review of this pact.
“The AUKUS pact, agreed upon by Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 2021, aims to provide Australia with nuclear attack submarines from the next decade to counter China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced an official review of the pact this year.”
– Reuters
This new agreement is a 50-year commitment to British-Australian defense cooperation within the first tier of AUKUS.
This week, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that the signed agreement will support the submarine programs of both countries and is expected to bring the UK up to £20 billion (approximately $27.1 billion) in exports over the next 25 years.
AUKUS is the largest defense project in Australia’s history. Canberra has committed to investing AUD 368 billion over three decades, including significant injections into the U.S. manufacturing base.
This month, Australia paid the U.S. a second tranche of AUD 800 million under the AUKUS pact, expressing confidence in the further development of the agreement.