(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Britain has signed a contract worth US$4.87 billion (RM21.9 billion) to develop the latest generation attack submarines called “SSN-AUKUS” to counter China’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet in the Indo-Pacific.
This agreement is part of the defense cooperation between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) and involves British defense companies BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Babcock.
“The submarines will strengthen the Royal Navy to enable it to maintain our advantage under water,” said United Kingdom Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps at the annual Conservative Party conference on Sunday.
In a separate statement, BAE Systems said that the new submarine “will be the largest, most powerful, and most advanced submarine ever supplied to the Royal Navy.”
The investment will involve the development phases of the submarine until 2028 and the employment of 5,000 workers at its construction facility in Barrow-in-Furness in northern England.
The first submarine is expected to be delivered in the 2030s.
In March, the leaders of the AUKUS countries announced a joint submarine project that would see Australia replace its diesel-electric submarines with nuclear-powered ones.
The plan involves Australia acquiring used American nuclear-powered submarines and then building new submarines using American and British technology.
It was also announced in March that Australia plans to purchase five nuclear-powered submarines from the United States around the 2030s in a security agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States, known as “AUKUS” (Australia, United Kingdom, United States).
Australia will receive five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States in the 2030s.
Under the AUKUS security cooperation, Australia is also set to receive the latest nuclear-powered submarine known as “SSN-AUKUS” using American propulsion technology.
This marks only the second time in history that the United States has shared nuclear-powered submarine technology, following a similar arrangement with Britain in the 1950s.
The submarines operated by Australia will be powered by nuclear reactors but will not be equipped with nuclear weapons.
Australian defense analysts estimate that the country will spend around US$245 billion (RM980 billion) by 2050 on its decision to operate these nuclear-powered submarines.
Starting from this year, Australian military personnel and civilian will be placed with the British and American navies to learn the technology. — DSA
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