Antinuclear

US Defense funding bill to include OK for nuclear subs, AUKUS tech for Australia

Riotat, December 2023 | Andrew McLaughlin

The US Congress is set to approve the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week, green-lighting the transfer of at least two Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to the Royal Australian Navy.

Democratic Senator Joe Courtney (left) and Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd (centre) at the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. Photo: Senator Courtney LinkedIn.

The US Congress is set to approve the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week, green-lighting the transfer of at least two Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to the Royal Australian Navy.

After months of wrangling, the $US874.2 billion ($A1.324 trillion) bill will put into US law the AUKUS Pillar 1 agreement between Australia, the UK and the US. It will also clear the way for a $US 3bn ($A 4.5 billion) investment by the Australian Government in US shipyards to expand their submarine manufacturing capacity and the release of sensitive US technologies to Australia.

The bill still needs to be voted on by Congress, but apart from pushback by the Republican ‘Freedom Caucus’, which has seen many of its proposed amendments unrelated to AUKUS removed, passing the largely bipartisan bill is expected to be a formality and completed before Congress rises for the Christmas break.

Importantly, the bill includes four key authorisations that are needed to enact the AUKUS agreement into law.

These include more time to approve a ”defense supplemental spending request’’ required to expand US submarine production capacity; the acceptance of the $US3 billion payment from Australia, allowing Australian industry personnel to train on the maintenance and use of nuclear-powered submarines; and an exemption for Australia and the UK from the US export control regimen if both countries develop comparable laws of their own.

That last authorisation will not only cover the nuclear reactors and other systems for Australia’s submarines but also a large number of technologies that will be required to develop many of the planned AUKUS Pillar 2 capabilities, including cyber, quantum computing, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, space-based capabilities and hypersonics.

The bill will also give Australian and British companies access to US federal grants under the Defense Production Act…………………………………………………….. https://the-riotact.com/us-defense-funding-bill-to-include-ok-for-nuclear-subs-aukus-tech-for-australia/729587

December 12, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized