The United Kingdom awarded a 4 billion pound ($4.9 billion) contract to three UK-based companies, including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Babcock for the design and construction of a nuclear-powered attack submarine, as part of the country’s AUKUS program with Australia and the US.
The UK Ministry of Defence made the announcement on October 1, emphasizing that the contract with these companies “represents a significant milestone for both the UK and the trilateral AUKUS program as a whole”.
These newly commissioned submarines, known as SSN-AUKUS, “will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated” by the Royal Navy and will “combine world-leading sensors, design, and weaponry in one vessel”, it said.
The delivery timeline for these submarines is equally impressive, with the first SSN-AUKUS expected to enter service in the United Kingdom in the late 2030s, followed closely by their deployment in Australia in the early 2040s.
The plan for the SSN-AUKUS project traces back to March, when the leaders of Australia, the UK, and the US unveiled their ambitious plans.
These nuclear-powered submarines, boasting superior stealth and extended operational range, mark a significant leap forward for Australia, replacing its current fleet of diesel-powered vessels.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles hailed the AUKUS agreement as “the biggest step forward in our military capability that we’ve had since the end of World War II”.
Under the AUKUS umbrella, Washington intends to offer Canberra up to five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines by the early 2030s. Furthermore, the program includes plans for the deployment of US and UK submarines to Western Australia as early as 2027 to assist in training Australian crews.
Experts and analysts believe that the AUKUS initiative will bolster deterrence measures in response to China’s increasingly assertive actions in the Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea, where the nation has established military bases on disputed islands and reefs.
Ashley Townshend, a senior fellow for Indo-Pacific security at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, underscored the significance of these submarines in complicating Chinese military planning. He asserted that their stealth capabilities, ability to operate in contested waters, and long-range cruise missiles are instrumental in countering Chinese actions.
“The fact that US, UK, and, in time, Australian SSNs will be operating as a combined force—with Aussies also embedded on American and British subs—raises the specter of horizontal escalation by forcing Beijing to consider the prospect that military action against any SSN, or the submarine base itself, could trigger the involvement of all three nations,” he said.
Meanwhile, China has vehemently condemned the AUKUS initiative, labeling it as an illegal act of nuclear proliferation.
The Chinese foreign ministry contends that this pact reflects a “Cold War mentality” that could spur an arms race, undermine international nuclear non-proliferation efforts, and jeopardize regional stability and peace.