UK's nuclear naval fleet will be doubled under AUKUS deal

San Diego: Plans for the new “Aukus” vessels to be built on a British design have been made public, which could result in a doubling of the UK’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, pledged to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with his American and Australian counterparts to defend Indo-Pacific peace given its consequences for global security in an effort to counter the growing threat from China.

In Point Loma, San Diego, the three leaders revealed a “historic” agreement that will allow new Aukus submarines to enter service by the late 2030s.

They will be built on a British design, with some being produced in the country, primarily in Barrow-in-Furness, by BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.

The new submarines will replace the UK’s existing fleet of seven nuclear-powered ships, but more could be added to expand the fleet’s potential size to 19.

Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines as part of the Aukus security pact, which the military’s upper brass believes is the most important for Britain since the US helped it become one of the few nuclear powers in 1958.

Early in the 2040s, Australia anticipates receiving dispatch of its own submarines. In the interim, British submarines will begin to be rotated to Australia as early as 2027 to develop the nation’s infrastructure, personnel, and knowledge base.

With the US expecting to sell Australia three Virginia class submarines and possibly another two if necessary, more senior Australian officers will begin training on US and UK submarine bases this year.

China has attempted to cast doubt on the project by claiming it would pose a “grave danger of nuclear proliferation” and might go against international law.

The three Aukus nations countered that they had set the greatest bar and had partnered closely with the IAEA.

The UK and US have run more than 500 naval nuclear reactors for more than 60 years, they claimed, and they have combined travelled more than 150 million miles without incident.

Sunak, US president Joe Biden, and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese all promised the action would support “global security and peace” in speeches on Monday in California.

The three leaders said in a joint statement: “For more than a century, our three nations have stood shoulder to shoulder, along with other allies and partners, to help sustain peace, stability, and prosperity around the world, including in the Indo-Pacific. We are concerned about growing military and economic hostility from China.

“We envision a world that upholds human rights, the rule of law, the sovereignty of independent states, and the rules-based system of international relations.”

Sunak quoted former US President John F. Kennedy as saying that the Aukus powers were “united by that same purpose” when he toured San Diego in 1957 and spoke about the value of liberty, peace, and stability.

He singled out China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, claiming they posed a threat to “a world characterised by danger, disorder, and division”.

Despite Russia being physically the closest threat to Britain given its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, defence experts predict that China will pose a greater threat as time goes on.
There are worries that China’s surplus naval force may start to operate close to Europe if the Arctic ice caps continue to melt.

Some western nations worry that Taiwan’s upcoming elections could be the catalyst for China to try and take control of the island.

It is unlikely that Aukus will start a domino effect, which means that the agreement won’t expand to include more nations than the three signatories.

The UK government, however, believes it has caught observers’ attention, and it anticipates that they will share the Aukus goals.

This might entail more joint military drills, but it might also force a re-evaluation of our reliance on Chinese commerce and investment.

Sunak has refrained from labelling China as a “threat” in the updated integrated defence review, despite the fact that he claimed this week that China presented a “epoch-defining challenge” to the global order.

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