Australia to buy five nuclear submarines from the US to counter Chinese influence

The United States will sell Australia up to five Virginia-class nuclear submarines during the 2030s, under the AUKUS security pact, which is seen as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, announced Monday that the United States has already agreed with Australia to sell three of these submarines and it has been established that two more could be delivered to the oceanic country if necessary.

Although the AUKUS is perceived as a counterbalance to China, Sullivan argued that the agreement is not directed against any country and that the aim is to show the US’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

The adviser made these statements to the press aboard the Air Force One presidential plane, in which US President Joe Biden is heading to San Diego to meet with the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Australia, Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese, respectively.

The three leaders are scheduled to announce the characteristics and conditions of the submarines, the most important part of the AUKUS pact.

The AUKUS (which stands for Australia, United Kingdom and United States) tripartite pact was unexpectedly announced on September 15, 2021.

Friction with France

At the time, the announcement sparked a diplomatic crisis between Australia and France because it involved the cancellation of a contract with French shipping company Naval for the development of conventional submersibles for Canberra.

The new submarines will allow Australia to enter, from the next decade, the club of nations with nuclear-powered submersibles, which includes the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and India.

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