Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the nuclear submarine deal would be “the biggest leap in defense capabilities in the country’s history,” adding that the United States and Britain also plan to benefit from the partnership.
How to deliver a fleet of Australian submarines powered by US nuclear technology is set to be announced in March under the Tripartite Security Agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (OCUS).
These include the next generation USS Virginia class submarines and the British attack submarines Astute.
Critics say the US and Britain cannot start delivering submarines by 2040, while Australia lacks the capacity to build ships to take the lead.
Albanese said on Tuesday that sharing submarine technology among Okus partners will bring benefits beyond submarines.
“Now, this will be the biggest leap in our defensive capabilities in our history,” he told the Australian National Press Club.
“Ocus is much more than just nuclear submarines or even technological interoperability. Ocus is regarding the future, and it formalizes the common values and interests of our three countries,” the Australian official said.
He said that the three governments are focusing on how to fully and mutually benefit from cooperation in building submarines, adding, “This is not a zero-sum partnership. This is a time when the sum of one plus one plus one is more than three, because the cooperation will result in multiplying effect and benefit following sharing some Science and innovations.
