Australia has signed a submarine deal with Britain and the United State with whom Australia has recently formed a new defence alliance, AUKUS, to confront strategic tensions in the Pacific, where the US and China don’t see eye to eye.
Key Points
• Under the terms of the agreement Australian Navy will be equipped with nuclear-powered submarines.
• This deal allows the exchange of sensitive “naval nuclear propulsion information†between three countries.
• It is the first agreement on technology to be publicly signed since the formation of AUKUS.
About the deal
• The deal will help Australia to do an 18-month study into submarine procurement. Details of the procurement has not yet decided, including whether Australia will opt for a vessel based on British or U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarines.
• With access to the information delivered under the deal, Australia will be positioned to be reliable and responsible stewards of the naval nuclear-powered technology.
Defence Alliance
Australia, UK and US had announced in September 2021 the formation of a new defence alliance between them, called AUKUS.
It was created to confront strategic tensions in the Pacific Ocean, where China-US rivalry is on the rise.
About AUKUS alliance
This is a trilateral security partnership for Indo-Pacific between Australia, UK and US (AUKUS). Major highlight of the agreement is sharing of US nuclear submarine technology to Australia. The grouping focuses on advancing strategic interests in Indo-Pacific region, making it an alliance against assertive actions of China in South China Sea. Under this initiative, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines with the help of UK and US.
Criticism of AUKUS
AUKUS has been criticized by Indonesia and Malaysia,
