Australia to build nuclear submarines in alliance with US and Britain to ...

Australia to build nuclear submarines in alliance with US and Britain to ...
Australia to build nuclear submarines in alliance with US and Britain to ...

Australia will build a nuclear-powered submarine fleet in a major new alliance with the US and Britain to counter the worrying rise of China in the Pacific.  

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday morning unveiled Australia's role in a landmark tripartite security group, known by the acronym 'AUKUS', to switch to nuclear-powered submarines with help from its two of its biggest allies.

The landmark defence pact was announced in a historic joint press conference with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The deal will mean Australia will walk away from its controversial deal to spend up to $90 billion buying French diesel-powered submarines.

This is the first time Australia has ever embraced nuclear power after decades of debate - and the first time the U.S. and UK have shared their nuclear submarine technology with another nation.  

Mr Morrison said though Australia has no plans to acquire nuclear weapons or build its own nuclear power capabilities.

Australia has at least 40 per cent of the world's uranium supplies and new submarine deal could pave the way for the country to embrace nuclear power to drastically reduce carbon emissions  

 The move towards a nuclear Australia has been described as 'China's Worst Nightmare' in a strategic bid to counter its influence in the region - especially in the South China Sea. 

Australia is set to follow its allies the US and UK which both use nuclear technology after it was speculated to tear up the $90b submarine project with France

Australia is set to follow its allies the US and UK which both use nuclear technology after it was speculated to tear up the $90b submarine project with France 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday morning unveiled Australia's role in a historic tripartite security group alongside US President Joe Biden

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday morning unveiled Australia's role in a historic tripartite security group alongside US President Joe Biden

Pictured: The USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) is seen firing the 5-inch gun for Naval Surface Fire Support during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 in Queensland

Pictured: The USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) is seen firing the 5-inch gun for Naval Surface Fire Support during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 in Queensland

Thursday's announcement comes just days before Mr Morrison travels to Washington DC for the first in-person summit of the four 'Quad' nations - Australia, US, Japan and India.

Australia's relationship with China has become increasingly hostile ever since Mr Morrison demanded an inquiry into the origins of the Covid pandemic, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. 

Arbitrary bans and trade tariffs were imposed on billions of dollars worth of key Australian exports to China including barley, wine, beef, cotton, seafood, coal, cobber and timber. 

Australia is now set to follow its allies the US and UK, who both use nuclear technology, with speculation it would tear up the submarine deal with France. 

Senior Australian ministers were involved in a flurry of late-night meetings on the top-secret shipbuilding program on Wednesday, with Anthony Albanese and other senior Labor MPs briefed on the matter. 

The move has been described as 'China's Worst Nightmare' in a strategic bid to counter its influence in the region

The move has been described as 'China's Worst Nightmare' in a strategic bid to counter its influence in the region

HMAS Rankin conducts helicopter transfers in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia in February as part of Rankin's training assessments to ensure the boat is ready to deploy

HMAS Rankin conducts helicopter transfers in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia in February as part of Rankin's training assessments to ensure the boat is ready to deploy

China has inflamed tensions in the South China Sea in recent years by expanding its claimed territory, to the objection of its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific

China has inflamed tensions in the South China Sea in recent years by expanding its claimed territory, to the objection of its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific

The Prime Minister reportedly held concerns French-owned shipbuilder Naval Group would be unable to deliver submarines until 2030 with deadline and price disputes.

Mr Morrison reportedly tried to speak with the French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday regarding the new deal. 

News of Australia's decision was instead reportedly disclosed to Paris by the secretary of the Defence Department, Greg Moriarty, the ABC reported.

The Australian Naval Institute has repeatedly criticised the troubled French submarine project while welcoming the use of nuclear technology. 

'With regional tensions increasing, then building our own one-off type submarines which will arrive in the early 2030s is not good enough. We have no guarantee they will work,' the article stated. 

'When we built the Collins class submarines (at exorbitant expense) they did not work properly for several years.

'Instead we should buy 12 of a proven design which is already in the water. We want long-range hunter-killer vessels. We also want them to be able to stay submerged for long periods to avoid detection. Nuclear does this in spades.' 

It is speculated the US had planned to operate some of its nuclear submarines from Perth's naval base HMAS Stirling. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) is set to make an announcement on Thursday morning over the country's international security initiative

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) is set to make an announcement on Thursday morning over the country's international security initiative 

The UK, which also uses nuclear technology, is expected to support Australia with the move in the three-nation security pact. 

Sources say plan is a move to counter China's rise in the technology and military sectors. 

It is one of a string of initiatives designed to demonstrate Washington's global role after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Biden will next week host his first in-person summit of leaders of the Quad nations — made up of Australia, India, Japan and the United States — which have been coordinating against China's growing reach.

'Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration's priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century, said Press Secretary Jen Psaki as she announced the September 24 summit in a statement.

How China's feud with Australia has escalated

2019: Australian intelligence services conclude that China was responsible for a cyber-attack on Australia's parliament and three largest political parties in the run-up to a May election.

April 2020: Australian PM Scott Morrison begins canvassing his fellow world leaders for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Britain and France are initially reluctant but more than 100 countries eventually back an investigation. 

April 15: Morrison is one of the few leaders to voice sympathy with Donald Trump's criticisms of the World Health Organization, which the US president accuses of bias towards China. 

April 21: China's embassy accuses Australian foreign minister Peter Dutton of 'ignorance and bigotry' and 'parroting what those Americans have asserted' after he called for China to be more transparent about the outbreak.  

PREV Glamorous Brisbane couple lose their long-running bid to stop celebrity ... trends now
NEXT Revealed: The TWO locals whose complaints silenced a 150-year-old church clock ... trends now