The UK/US/Australia AUKUS nuclear attack submarine treaty is moving from diplomacy to practical operation after the UK Ministry of Defense awarded a contract worth 3.95 billion pounds (about 4.8 billion US dollars) to begin detailed design work and long-term procurement of SSN-AUKUS class nuclear attack submarines.
In response to profound changes in the geopolitical landscape, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia signed the AUKUS agreement in 2021 to provide the Royal Australian Navy with a domestically manufactured and supported nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet.
The treaty is an unprecedented technology-sharing agreement in which the two most advanced Western nuclear powers agree to provide Australia with technical expertise and even complete nuclear submarines to replace the current fleet of Collins-class conventional submarines as Australia develops domestic infrastructure to build and support its own attack craft.
It sounds simple, but it is an extremely complex undertaking that will take decades to achieve. As a result, there's been a lot of speculation over the past two years about what Orcus will actually look like. What would a submarine, if any, look like? Will the deal move forward, or will it be quietly shelved?
The new agreement links AUKUS with the UK's replacement program for the Astute class of submarines being built, while producing more common technology that will be installed on US, UK and Australian submarines. Construction of the SSN-AUKUS class submarines will begin after the last "Astute" class submarine is completed, some of which may be shipped to Australia while being built at Australian domestic shipyards, and will replace the American "Virginia" class submarines purchased by the Australian Navy as a stopgap measure.
In addition to design and procurement work until 2028, the new agreement will allow for improvements to BAE Systems' site in Barrow-in-Furness and an expansion of Rolls-Royce's Rainsway site in Derby to build nuclear reactors. Under international nuclear treaty obligations, the UK and the US will provide Australia with completed nuclear reactors and fuel. The submarine will include U.S. propulsion systems and components, as well as missile vertical launch systems and weapons common to the three navies.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said: "The multi-billion pound investment in the AUKUS submarine program will help deliver the long-term hunter-killer submarine capability the UK needs to maintain our strategic advantage and ensure our leadership in a competitive global order. I am committed to supporting our defense industry because only with the mission-critical support of businesses like BAE Systems can the UK develop the advanced equipment our armed forces need to defend the British people in a more dangerous world."