Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday hailed the US Congress for authorizing the sale of nuclear submarines to another country for the first time, allowing the AUKUS defense partnership of Australia, the US and Britain to go ahead.
More than two-thirds of the US House of Representatives on Thursday voted in favor of a defense policy bill that included a record US$886 billion in annual military spending and authorized policies such as aid for Ukraine and pushback against China in the Indo-Pacific region.
“This is an extraordinary achievement,” Albanese said in an interview with radio network 2GB, adding that he had spoken to more than 100 US lawmakers in support of the AUKUS provisions.
Photo: AFP
“To get this legislation passed means that AUKUS can go ahead, means that Australia will have access to those Virginia-class submarines, which are nuclear propelled, and that will be so important for Australia’s national security,” he said.
The AUKUS pact to develop nuclear-powered submarines and other high-tech military equipment is Australia’s most expensive defense project with a US$244 billion price tag over three decades, but relied on US approval to share sensitive technology.
Canberra said that it wants to see an Australian-flagged nuclear-powered submarine in the water in the early 2030s to avoid a capability gap as its existing Collins-class diesel-electric fleet retires.
A new class of Australian-built AUKUS submarines is not expected until early 2040.
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