Australia to buy nuclear submarines from United States

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Administrator's note: See also AUKUS: Trilateral security pact

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Biden and UK to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines in new pushback on China
By Kevin Liptak and Maegan Vazquez, CNN
Updated 8:21 AM ET, Thu September 16, 2021

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/15/politics/us-uk-australia-nuclear-powered-submarines/index.html

(CNN)President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled a new effort to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, a major step toward countering China as he works to build international backing for his approach to Beijing.

The announcement came as part of a new trilateral partnership among the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom that the three countries' leaders jointly revealed Wednesday afternoon.

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Why France is angry about the US and UK giving Australia nuclear-powered submarines
By Maegan Vazquez, CNN
Updated 5:58 PM ET, Fri September 17, 2021

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/politics/france-anger-over-nuclear-powered-submarines-explained/index.html

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France stands to lose the equivalent of $65 billion US dollars from an existing deal to provide Australia with conventional, diesel-powered submarines.

The canceled deal with France, a major global weapons exporter, is expected to make a significant economic impact on the French defense sector. France also stands to lose out strategically in the Indo-Pacific, where the country holds significant interests.

On Thursday, after the nuclear-powered submarine deal with the US and the UK was announced, Australia formally announced it would be withdrawing from its previous contract for conventional submarines with France.
The deal with Paris had been in the works for years.
Australia previously planned to acquire 12 conventional attack-class submarines from the French shipbuilder Naval Group, which successfully beat out competing German and Japanese bids in 2016.

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Australia had 'deep and grave' concerns about French submarines' capabilities, PM says
By Jennifer Hauser and Ivana Kottasová, CNN

Published Sep 19, 2021 9:03:46 PM

https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2021/9/19/australia-submarine-deal-concerns.html

Australia was concerned the conventional submarines it ordered from France would not meet its strategic needs before it canceled the multibillion defense deal in favor of an agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom earlier this week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday.

Seeking to explain the sudden U-turn that caused huge anger in Paris, Morrison said that while he understood France's disappointment over the issue, "Australia's national interest comes first."

"It must come first and did come first and Australia's interests are best served by the trilateral partnership I've been able to form with President Biden and Prime Minister Johnson," he said at a news conference on Sunday.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4hen6xTWs4

Australia's new nuclear submarine plan torpedoes five years of work by the French shipbuilder Naval Group, although there have been signs for a while the Australia-France deal was troubled.


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQgjvP0rv7w

The switch to nuclear power means Australia's submarines will be harder to detect and have the capacity to stay at sea longer.