Antinuclear

Australia’s submarine deal under scrutiny as global alliances shift

The Age Rob Harris, April 9, 2025

London: Britain will scrutinise Australia’s nuclear submarines deal with the UK and the United States, as concerns are raised on the other side of the Atlantic about the continued reliability of the US as a security partner.

The UK House of Commons Defence Committee quietly announced a parliamentary inquiry last week into the contentious AUKUS defence pact, signed in 2021, which will cost Australian taxpayers $368 billion over the next 30 years. The inquiry – the first of its kind – will evaluate whether the program remains on track and consider the impact of global geopolitical shifts since the deal was signed.

With none of the original signatories – former leaders Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Scott Morrison – still in office, the inquiry also reflects the changing dynamics in global alliances. Notably, the US recently distanced itself from its European NATO allies, complicating the context of the pact.

At a US Senate hearing on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), Democrat senator Mark Warner said President Donald Trump’s decision last week to impose tariffs on US allies, including on Australia and the United Kingdom, “undermines our national security and frankly makes us not a good partner”.

“We’re supposed to be doing this major deal around jointly building submarines,” Warner said after the hearing. “I think [Australia] and all of our allies are rethinking whether we can be counted on as a partner.”………………………………………………………………………………

While AUKUS aims to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced concerns, questioning whether Australia would ever receive a US nuclear-powered submarine. The US faces challenges in its own naval capabilities, with senior Pentagon officials also questioning the feasibility of the submarine deal, given current shipbuilding limitations………………………………………………………….

London-based foreign policy analyst Sophia Gaston, a senior fellow at the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, said the secret origins of AUKUS had “proven an impediment to building a wider scope of engagement around the pact”.

“This inquiry will bring new voices and energy into the conversation … but also confront the rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape in which AUKUS is seeking to make its mark,” she said……………………………………………………..https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/australia-s-submarine-deal-under-scrutiny-as-global-alliances-shift-20250409-p5lqcq.html

April 10, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized