The British Astute-class (just under $2 billion each,) and U.S. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to advance the Australian defense industry’s capability and capacity to an extent where the country can sustain its own defense requirements and effectively contribute to the shared regional interests. Out of the 17 groups, nine are dedicated to the development of the SSN the rest are geared toward other advanced capabilities, including unmanned underwater vehicles, quantum, artificial intelligence, cyber, hypersonics and electronic warfare. The AUKUS partnership is more than just a “submarine deal.” By creating 17 working groups, some of which have already begun, the three nations are creating a “ seamless” defense industrial base between them that fosters closer collaboration. The subsequent establishment of a submarine tender support base in Australia will enable better interoperability between the three nations’ navies to conduct more effective operations in the wider Indo-Pacific region. Navy Virginia-class SSNs, and Royal Navy Astute-class SSNs will mitigate the current capability gap in Australian joint and naval force capabilities. Navy and the RAN” for a future fleet of RAN SSNs. Congress is striving to “establish a joint training pipeline between the U.S. Also, the British Royal Navy has already started training the RAN submariners on their Astute-class SSN and the U.S. Simply, acquiring the B-21 is not now in the interest of the Australian government.ĭespite the concern, Australia’s lack of a civilian nuclear industry is “ not an indicator of naval nuclear competence” due to the fundamental difference in the basic design of reactors. A bomber force would present more lifetime costs to the Australians than would a nuclear submarine force. Most importantly, Australia is not a great power that maintains a doctrine of employing a long-range strategic bomber against an adversary. Thanks to inherent stealth, endurance, firepower and mobility, the SSNs can support a wide range of maritime operations that the bombers cannot - anti-submarine warfare special operations forces support irregular warfare mine warfare (constant and mobile) forward presence. The strategic and operational roles are evidently different. As a nation that has to cover the world’s third-largest Exclusive Economic Zone, Australia has explicated in its 2016 Defense White Paper that its priority is to acquire “regionally superior submarines with a high degree of interoperability with the United States” that provides “a strategic advantage in terms of surveillance and protection” of Australia’s maritime approaches.Īs the Australian Defense Minister Richrad Marles explained, “For a three-ocean nation, the heart of deterrence is undersea capability.” While long-range strategic bombers are an important part of nuclear deterrence and conventional strike mission, they are not a stand-alone, independent replacement for a joint force. In addition to the direct threat posed by China through coercion and election interference in the past six years, illegal territorial claims and the use of maritime militia in the South China Sea convinced the nation to adapt its military force structure to the evolving strategic environment. Recent changes in the external environment, and notably in Australia’s relationship with China, however, drastically changed Australia’s threat perception. The Australian government eventually selected Naval Group’s Barracuda-class as a replacement in 2016. Since 2007, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) wanted to replace its current Collins-class submarines as they have been problematic since their design phase. The argument, however, does not comport with the fundamentals of the AUKUS partnership and the platform requirements desired by Australia. Such a replacement could seem appealing after a year-long period of concerns mainly due to Australia’s capability gaps that may be caused by delivery timeline and overburdened defense industries in the U.S. A recent article by Mitchell Center for Aerospace Studies expert Robert Haddick asserts that the Australian government should acquire the B-21 Raider strategic bomber, instead of the nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) planned under the AUKUS trilateral partnership agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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