Australia recently announced that it will invest AU$3.9 billion (approximately US$2.755 billion) to advance the construction of a nuclear submarine shipyard. This move aims to assist in fulfilling the nuclear submarine project under the framework of the Australia-UK-US trilateral security partnership (AUKUS) signed with the United States and the United Kingdom.
The AUKUS trilateral defense agreement is reportedly the largest defense investment project in Australia’s history. According to the plan, starting in 2027, US Virginia-class nuclear submarines will be deployed to Australia; around 2030, the United States will sell several Virginia-class nuclear submarines to Australia; meanwhile, the UK and Australia will jointly build new AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the multi-billion dollar sum is the first tranche of funding for a new shipyard in Osborne, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, and will be used to build the shipyard’s infrastructure, emphasizing that “this is just the beginning.”
Australian authorities predict that the proposed Osborne submarine shipyard will require a total investment of AU$30 billion (US$21.189 billion) over the next few decades, and say the move is “crucial for the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia’s conventional weapons.”
According to reports, once completed, the Osborne Submarine Shipyard will be used by Australia’s ASC Corporation and the UK defense group BAE Systems to jointly build Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet. This project is a core component of the AUKUS project. Before the official commencement of nuclear submarine construction before 2030, the shipyard will primarily be responsible for the maintenance of Australia’s existing Collins-class submarine fleet.