The U.S. will not allow Australia’s submarine forces to have “capability gap” between the time the island nation retires its diesel-powered submarines and deploys nuclear-powered subs powered by technology provided by the U.K. and the U.S., the Secretary of Defense said this week.
“[W]e will not allow Australia to have a capability gap going forward,” Austin said at a press conference after an annual meeting between senior diplomats and defense officials from the two countries.
Over a year ago, U.S. Australian, and U.K. officials announced the AUKUS partnership to help Australia procure a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarines to replace its six-submarine fleet of diesel-electric Collins-class vessels.
The three countries gave themselves 18 months, until March 2023, to work out the first steps of the proposed technology transfer, which adversarial nations have framed as a violation of international nonproliferation accords.
“[W]hat has been underpinning the conversation that we have been having in – under the AUKUS framework is to look at, if there are capability gaps, how we make sure we plug them so in effect there are none,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Tuesday.
While Austin did not elaborate about U.S. plans to keep Australia’s submarine fleet on patrol post-Collins, in October, Rep Rob Wittman (R-Va.), ranking member of the House Armed Services subcommittee on seapower and projection forces, argued for one approach to help bridge the gap.
Wittman said the countries could have a joint deployment agreement using Australian submariners to crew a U.S. Virginia-class attack submarine with Australian and U.S. commanders on board in the Australian area of operations.
Last year, Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said it could take decades before an AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine is deployed in the water. Earlier this year, Marles said the Australian government might extend the Collins boats to buy time until the AUKUS fleet arrives.
A version of this story first appeared in Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor affiliate publication Defense Daily.
