IRIA News

U.S. President Joe Biden met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego on March 13, 2023. The AUKUS group finalized the details of how Australia will acquire nuclear submarines under the Pacific Security agreement.

First unveiled 18 months ago, the AUKUS deal was aimed at allowing Australia to buy nuclear-powered submarines to preserve a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region. As suggested by the acronym, Australia, the UK, and the U.S. are three partners in the AUKUS deal.

Under the deal, Australia could buy as many as five nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. in the first phase. Currently, Australia has announced its plan to buy three submarines with an option to add two more in the future.

U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a joint statement on March 13, as they met in California. According to the joint statement, the trilateral meeting underscored continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression, including the provision of security, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Democracies like ours deliver for our own security – and for the entire world. pic.twitter.com/N5hXBpe4C9

— President Biden (@POTUS) March 14, 2023

While the Ukraine war remains one of the most discussed topics among western leaders, this meeting focused on China and its growing military and naval might in the Indo-Pacific region. According to a joint statement released by the White House, the three leaders exchanged views on challenges posed by China.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California, U.S. President Joe Biden referred to the AUKUS deal as “An inflection point in history, where the hard work of enhancing deterrence and promoting stability is going to affect the prospect of peace for decades to come”. The leaders also shared their commitment to supporting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the White House statement, U.S. President Biden “reaffirmed the strong bilateral relationship and security alliance between the United States and Australia”. The statement further added that “The leaders underscored their shared commitment to promote regional security through the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) trilateral partnership and continued close defense cooperation”.

The leaders of the U.S., the UK, and Australia discussed enhancing cooperation through the Quad Alliance (between the U.S., Australia, India, and Japan), support for a strong Pacific Islands Forum, and opportunities to coordinate through Partners in the Blue Pacific.

The AUKUS leaders also reaffirmed their shared commitment to ASEAN centrality and resolved to confront climate change and tackle challenges to regional stability, including economic coercion. They also stressed the continued commitment to continue “deepening the bilateral partnership to advance their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, including through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted on his Twitter account that the UK would build the first generation of AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines based on Britain’s “world-leading submarine design”. However, Sunak stressed that the vessels could “not happen without cutting-edge American technology and expertise”.

NEW: The first generation of #AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines will be built in the UK, based on the UK’s world-leading submarine design.

Great news for British jobs and great news for global security.

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) March 13, 2023

Sunak also announced UK’s plan to invest in armed forces for the long term so the country can effectively tackle current and future challenges. He added, “As the world becomes more volatile and competition between states becomes more intense, the UK must be ready to stand our ground”.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese wrote on Twitter that Australia will partner with the United States and the United Kingdom “to build the next generation submarine. They’ll be built by Australians, commanded by the Australian Navy, and sustained by Australians in Australian shipyards”.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that it was “the first time in 65 years and only the second time in history that the United States has shared its nuclear propulsion technology, and we thank you for it”.

The Australian prime minister added that his country would be “purchasing three Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines”, in the meantime, Australia will be “training and upskilling our people through increased visits and rotational presence” from the U.S. and the UK submarines.

Today in San Diego, alongside President @JoeBiden and Prime Minister @RishiSunak, I announced the next steps for AUKUS. A new chapter in the friendship between the Australia, the US, and the UK. pic.twitter.com/p8vlLpjfU7

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 13, 2023

Australia’s landmark decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines gathered praise from the western allies as it would strengthen their position in the Pacific region against the rising threat of China’s naval modernization. However, France did not perceive the deal as positively as the rest of its allies.

In order to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, Australia unilaterally canceled a $65 billion deal with France to acquire conventional submarines. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the AUKUS deal a “stab in the back”.

The AUKUS deal has also gathered concerns from regional actors such as Malaysia and Indonesia as the presence of too many nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific Ocean could spark a race for nuclear arms in the region.