AUKUS

AUKUS
Interest of	Richard Marles, Donald C. Winter
Membership	•  Australia •  United Kingdom •  United States

AUKUS is an enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States which was announced on 15 September 2021 by President Biden, Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison.

The first major initiative under AUKUS is Australia’s acquisition of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines which have superior characteristics of stealth, speed, manoeuvrability, survivability, and almost limitless endurance, when compared to conventional submarines. They can deploy unmanned underwater vehicles and can also carry more advanced and a greater number of weapons. These abilities allow nuclear-powered submarines to operate in contested areas with a lower risk of detection.

Speech by Scott Morrison

PM Scott Morrison speaks after AUKUS submarine announcement

In an hour-long speech, Australian PM Scott Morrison said:

"We intend to build these submarines in Adelaide, Australia, in close cooperation with the United Kingdom and the United States.

"But let me be clear: Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability.

"And we will continue to meet all our nuclear non-proliferation obligations."

Reactions

France

The French government reacted angrily to Australia’s decision to abandon a £43bn deal for French submarines in favour of the AUKUS security pact, which will see Australia scrap its 2016 agreement with French shipbuilder Naval Group to build a new fleet to replace its ageing Collins submarines.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s foreign affairs minister, claimed the move was a “stab in the back” from Australia, telling Franceinfo:

“We had established a trusting relationship with Australia, and this trust was betrayed.”

China

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian condemned the move and said:

"The US, the UK and Australia's cooperation in nuclear submarines severely damages regional peace and stability, intensifies the arms race, and jeopardises the international efforts in promoting the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

"The US and UK's action of exporting highly sensitive nuclear submarine technology once again proves that they are using nuclear exports as a tool for geopolitical games and adapts double standards.

"This is a highly irresponsible act."

 

Related Quotations

Page	Quote	Author	Date
Kim Beazley	“In the event of a war between the United States and China, Australia would have absolutely no alternative but to line up militarily beside the US. Otherwise the alliance would be effectively dead and buried, something that Australia could never afford to see happen.””	Kim Beazley	2006
Paul Keating	“The Albanese Government’s complicity in joining with Britain and the United States in a tripartite build of a nuclear submarine for Australia under the AUKUS arrangements represents the worst international decision by an Australian Labor government since...World War One...And that approach was to have the United States supply nuclear submarines for deep and joint operations against China... And how did this come to be? The answer lies in Anthony Albanese’s reliance on two seriously unwise ministers. Penny Wong and Richard Marles....Labor’s valiant three fell immediately into line – they would join the neo-cons in the Office of National Intelligence, ASPI, the country’s principal US apologist, the security agencies and the hapless Defence department.... Indeed, two of our major dailies, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, have for five years now, argued the notion of war against China. Or readiness for war.”	Paul Keating	15 March 2023

 

Known members

All 3 of the members already have pages here:

Member	Description
Australia	A large island nation in the southern hemisphere which is pioneering universal surveillance of its citizenry.
UK	The biggest Island in Europe. It was a world power with massive influence for over 4 centuries.
US	The United States is the single biggest military spender in the world, with a higher 2020 expenditure than the next ten countries combined. Its infrastructure has been described to be in disrepair since the late 1980s.

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