Australia, Britain say Aukus nuclear submarine deal ‘progressing well’

US and British experts are now in Australia to advise on the project, Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson said after their virtual talks

London also pledged US$34 million to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific as the two leaders expressed ‘grave concerns’ about China’s policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) at a virtual press conference with his British counterpart Boris Johnson in 2021. File photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:19am, 17 Feb 2022Updated: 10:27am, 17 Feb 2022

Australia’s bid to acquire nuclear-powered submarines is making “significant progress”, the country said on Thursday in a joint statement with Britain after a virtual summit between their leaders.

US and British experts are now in Australia to advise on the project – announced in September under a new Australia-Britain-US defence alliance, Aukus – they said after talks between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British leader Boris Johnson.

Australia says it plans to arm the submarines with conventional weapons but has yet to decide on the details of the programme, including whether to opt for a fleet based on US or British nuclear-powered attack submarines.

“All three partners have made significant progress in their collective endeavour to provide the Royal Australian Navy with a conventional-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability at the earliest possible date,” Australia and Britain said.

“Leaders further welcomed the presence in Australia of UK and US officials to provide expert advice on the many facets of nuclear stewardship needed to operate a nuclear-powered submarine capability,” they said.

Forged at a time of growing Chinese influence in the Pacific region, the Aukus alliance would make Australia the only non-nuclear weapons power with nuclear-powered submarines, capable of travelling long distances without surfacing.