It’s the Brits and not the Yanks that could help Defence Minister Richard Marles pull a nuclear rabbit out of the hat.
As a naval power occupying a continent, it makes perfect sense for Australia to acquire nuclear submarines via the AUKUS deal. The problem is, getting themHowever, rumours the Britain is prepared to immediately sell Australia two Astute class nuclear submarines – HMS Agamemnon and HMS Agincourt, due for completion in 2024 and 2026 – make a lot of sense for both nations, if true.
The task of conjuring submarines seemingly from thin air falls to Defence Minister Richard Marles. With the hardest job in government, Marles stands on the verge of becoming one of Australia’s most consequential ministers.Building nine Astutes means Australia and the UK get the subs they need, while AUKUS increases its total submarine count.
By jumping the queue, Australia helps manufacturer BAE avoid the loss of skills and production capability that occurs in a stop-start shipbuilding process. Even with an AUKUS leg-up, creating an entire industry and highly skilled workforce inside a decade will take a national effort. And that’s before you get to submarine captains needing to be nuclear physicists!
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