Australia is the victim of an AUKUS ‘bait and switch’
Australia's AUKUS partnership with the US and UK has been altered, leading to concerns in Canberra. The deal now includes three second-hand Virginia-class submarines, which are less advanced than initially promised. Critics argue that Australia has been misled and is at a disadvantage in this unequal agreement.
- ▪Australia will receive three second-hand Virginia-class submarines instead of the originally promised two used vessels and one new sub.
- ▪The submarines will likely be from Block 4, which have a smaller weapon payload compared to the promised Block 6.
- ▪Australia has invested at least US$2 billion into the US submarine manufacturing pipeline, expecting to receive newer submarines in return.
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At a security conference in Singapore over the weekend, the three AUKUS partners – the United States, United Kingdom and Australia – announced a tweak to their partnership that has generated quite a lot of attention in Canberra. Australia will now receive three second-hand Virginia-class, nuclear-powered submarines in the coming years, instead of the original deal of two used vessels and one brand new sub. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles spun this as a welcome streamlining of the fleet that would simplify its supply chain, as well as the management and sustainment of these complex warships. What Marles seems not to have noticed is that not all Virginia-class submarines are the same. The new boat the US had promised would have been from Block 6, the most recent design.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Asia Times.
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