Australia and Britain to Sign Treaty for Joint Submarine Production, According to Reuters

Australia and Britain have announced plans to establish a bilateral treaty aimed at developing a new class of nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS partnership, which also includes the United States.

In the coming decade, Australia is set to acquire Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. Subsequently, the new AUKUS submarine class will be constructed in Barrow-in-Furness, UK, and in South Australia. This was part of the AUKUS agreement announced in 2023.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles indicated that negotiations for a treaty between Australia and the UK would facilitate the partnership’s objectives. He noted, “We will be operating the same class of submarine, allowing for enhanced industrial cooperation and technology transfer.”

British Defence Secretary John Healey mentioned that during the recent meeting in London, AUKUS defense ministers agreed on the integration of British-made Stingray torpedoes with P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft, which are utilized for submarine hunting in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin highlighted that the AUKUS partners have conducted extensive experiments in various domains, enhancing their warfighting capabilities as part of the initiative known as AUKUS “Pillar Two.”

A joint statement emphasized that the partners are focused on advancing offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies, with plans to conduct a large-scale drone exercise later this year.